If you don’t already know why we have European starlings here in the United States, it’s because in 1890 someone wanting to make European settlers feel at home released 60 European starlings (along with birds of all the other species mentioned in Shakespeare) in Central Park. They released 40 more the following year. While the other transplanted species soon perished, the resourceful, adaptable starlings spread throughout the continent within a … [Read more...]
That Noise May Be a Bird in a Vent
Whether you love birds or barely notice them, you’re not expected to love them nesting in the various exhaust vents of your home, rustling and chattering at the crack of dawn. But that’s exactly where cavity-nesting birds often look to make their nests. House sparrows and starlings are both widespread and numerous, after having been brought to North America where they were misguidedly and purposefully released. Unlike most wild birds, these “vent … [Read more...]
Do You Have Starlings in Your Attic?
Starlings are the stuff of poetry for some—whether in passages from Shakespeare’s writings or in the visual poetry of synchronized flocks of starlings in flight. But when there are starlings in your attic, whether nesting or roosting, they are bound to seem more like a nuisance than a natural phenomenon. European starlings were introduced to North America purposely, and have adapted to a wide range of habitat conditions, including city … [Read more...]