Shock and caw: Pesky starlings still overwhelm

[ccharles000]

The next time the sky darkens with a flock of noisy unwelcome starlings, blame Shakespeare _ or, better yet, a few of his strangest fans.

Had the Bard not mentioned the starling in the third scene of "Henry IV," arguably the most hated bird in North America might never have arrived. In the early 1890s, about 100 European starlings were released in New York City's Central Park by a group dedicated to bringing to America every bird ever mentioned by Shakespeare.

Today, it's more like Hitchcock.

Some 200 million shiny black European starlings crowd North America, from the cool climes of Alaska to the balmy reaches of Mexico's Baja peninsula. The enormous flocks endanger air travel, mob cattle operations, chase off native songbirds, roost on city blocks, leaving behind corrosive, foul-smelling droppings and hundreds of millions of dollars of damage each year.

And getting rid of them is near impossible.

Last year U.S. government agents poisoned, shot and trapped 1.7 million starlings, more than any other nuisance species, according to new figures, only to see them roaring back again.

"It's sort of like bailing the ocean with a thimble," said Richard Dolbeer, a retired Wildlife Services researcher in Sandusky, Ohio who spent years trying to figure out ways to keep starlings _ which he calls "flying bullets" _ and other birds from causing problems at airports. Federal aviation officials say they have caused $4 million in damage since 1990.

After the starlings' introduction, they quickly expanded west, taking advantage of vast tracts of forested land opening up to agriculture and human development, Dolbeer said. By the 1950s, starlings had reached California and nearly all parts in-between. Today, it's one of the most common birds in the U.S.

Their prodigious presence is no mystery. Starlings breed like crazy, eat almost anything, are highly mobile and operate in overwhelming numbers. They're also expert at nesting in protected nooks and making an intimidating statement as they swirl in vast clouds called "murmurations."

http://www.rr.com/news/news/article/1110/8847061/Shock_and_caw_Pesky_starlings_still_overwhelm

[Mari333]

1. I dont hate them how can you hate birds

they are wonderful, in the trees here in town, just a hoot.

[Kolesar]

2. Some 300 million European humans crowd North America, from the cool climes of Alaska

... to the balmy reaches of Mexico's Baja peninsula.

The enormous flocks invented air travel, cattle operations, chase off native songbirds, roost on city blocks, leaving behind corrosive, foul-smelling droppings and hundreds of millions of dollars of damage each year.

[madokie]

3. We feed the songbirds

and when a flock of starlings arrive they'll clean out the feeder in minutes. Throwing sunflower seeds first this way then that way. I'd say a good 80 percent of which will hit the ground uneaten. Thankfully the cardinals don't mind eating off the ground so all is not lost.

[TexasProgresive]

4. And just think

Someone thought it would be civilizing the Americas to bring every bird here in Shakespeare. He started with starlings.

A tip - if you put up bird houses for bluebirds be sure not to include a perch. Starlings will stand on the perch to reach in and throw the baby blues on the ground, and then take over the nest.

[Pavulon]

5. Odd to hate a bird..

I take baby birds I find abandoned to rehab. Even starlings. I also think doves are tasty when cooked wrapped in bacon. The starling is a pretty smart bird so they say.