The European Starling, scientifically known as Stu........ nope not today, is a common bird species found across Europe, Asia, and North America. These birds are known for their black plumage. Often times you can see them flying around in big groups or mobs if you will. Love them or hate them these birds are incredibly adaptable. In my research I found population estimates in the North Americas ranging from 85 million to 250 Million ....and all of these birds originated from roughly 100 birds that were introduced.
How did they get to the Americas ?
This is actually really interesting. So reportedly all 30 gazillion of these things flying around in America stem from between 60 -100 birds that were released into New York Cities Central Park. Between 1890-91 Why would anybody do that ? Good question. Apparently the person who did it ( Eugene Schiefflin ) was a fan of William Shakespeare and wanted the new world to have all the birds here that were mentioned in the playwrights scripts. As a side note there are also reports of some birds being released in Oregon around this same time period but are believed to have died out.
Nuisance or Cherished Creature ?
You are the jury you have to make a decision do they stay or do they go? First the reasons to keep them around which basically come down to two (unless you are a fan of Shakespeare ) and these are pest control and fertilizer. Because they hang around in such large groups they consume large quantities of food and therefore can reduce the number of bugs or worms on crops. The bad? Try telling a starling to only eat a specific type of bug or worm and leave your tasty corn alone. Yeah you're probably better of talking to a fence post. Starlings can and will cause a large amount of crop damage just by consuming your seeds and grasses.
Reason number two fertilizer. Starlings hang around in massive groups up to one and a half million in some areas. Starlings like most other living beings have bowel movements and these droppings can be used as fertilizer. The argument against? Here is one of the craziest things I discovered in my research of these black beauties, in certain scenarios these droppings can accumulate up to 12 yes TWELVE inches thick!! Mind blown !! If these droppings get too thick the chemicals will overpower and kill plants so there is a balance to be had there. To much of a good thing is a bad thing. These droppings can also contain unwanted seeds and fungi which will lead to more problems. So what shall it be ? Should I stay or should I go now?
Females with exquisite taste ?
Single males will find a suitable nesting spot cavity in a tree, nesting box, briar bush, etc.. and begin building a nest in order to attract a female. The male will decorate his nest with ornaments such as flowers or green plants. The female later disassembles these once selecting him as a mate. The total amount of green material doesn't seem to be important but the presence of herbs seems to play a role in success for the male. Imagine flexing your herb garden to attract a mate. "Wait until you see how tall my thyme is"
Hatching and raising the young
After mating the male and female continue building and finishing the nest. The female usually lays about 4 or 5 eggs. Both male and female will brood the eggs although the female spends more time brooding than the male does. Incubation takes 13 days with the last egg sometimes taking a bit longer. Both parents help feed the young chicks for about 4 weeks or until they are able to scrape together enough food for themselves. Their diet consists of mostly insects when those are available but will also include fruits, nuts, and seeds.
Some random points of interest
The next time you see an ever-changing ball of black flying through the sky you are probably looking at a flock of starlings. It is fascinating to observe the randomness with which they dip and dive one way and then another with seemingly nobody in charge, unlike the much better organized goose which has one leader and a defined direction they are heading. Starlings also have the ability to recreate sounds and songs from their environment. They are excellent mimics and can imitate the calls of other bird species, as well as sounds like car alarms. That's right mocking bird step aside and make room for another imitator.
If you would like to build something cool and attract birds to you visit https://feathersandroots.com/ Have a birdyful day !! -Kevin