From Your Home to Mine


Birds have been on my mind lately as we move into peak migration season in the Northeastern U.S. And they've been popping up in other DPBs too.

Here's a not-very-good photo I took the other day of a European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Native to Europe and Asia, it was introduced to North America in the late 1800s and is now among the most abundant species across the entire continent. 

There is an apocryphal story that a man called Schiefflin wanted to have all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare's works brought to America. He snuck 100 starlings into Central Park in New York City and released them -- and the rest is history, as the saying goes. 

Alas, a researcher in the past decade or so pretty much debunked that story. At least that wasn't the first time that starlings were introduced on the continent.

The bird in this photo was singing -- if you can call their variety of squeaks, whistles, and mimicry a "song" -- with its throat puffed up, presumably showing off for a mate. European Starlings are actually very good mimics. Human-like "wolf whistles" and Eastern Meadowlark songs are frequently heard.

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