I had not seen or heard
the Starlings in a bit, but in the last couple of days, they have come back a bit, along with groups of flocking Cowbirds. The adults are starting to get into their winter plumage, and I always like this look because they almost look like the fantasy birds we used to draw as children. The young ones will soon also be back, I assume, with their own unique look when the adult feathers come out through their brown baby plumage.
European Starlings are considered invasive
in the US, meaning that they are not a native bird over here. They were supposedly brought to America through a man named Eugene Schieffelin who released a bunch of them in Central Park in 1890 as part of a personal project to bring all birds that have been mentioned in Shakespeare to the New World. Starlings have experienced a success story in the US, much to the detriment of some native species that were not prepared for them. As an invasive species, they are not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty, so people are allowed to take active measures to control them. Many American bird enthusiasts are not a huge fan of them. However, they are part of the bird world here, they are fascinating in their own right, and I find it important to show them every so often too so people can recognize them and maybe become a bit more aware of their impact. (Plus, they can be entertaining and I also have followers from their native region.) There are lots of ressources about Starlings and the other main invasive bird in the US, the House Sparrow, to be found online. Here is one link with some background in regards to Schieffelin link. For an alternative view, here is another link, it is a complex topic. Without further ado, here is a young European Starling.
This House Sparrow girl
seems to be in love with a Starling. An unlikely pair but he let her sit right next to him for a bit.
