Fun Facts - European Starling
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 The
European Starling was introduced into North America when the
"American Acclimatization Society" for European settlers released
some 80-100 birds in Central Park (New York City) in 1890-91. The
head of this particular organization, Eugene Scheiffelin, desired to
introduce all birds ever mentioned in the works of William
Shakespeare.
- Since its introduction into North
America in 1891, European Starling populations have grown to over
200 million birds and they can now be found coast to coast and in
Alaska.
- The European Starling, introduced to
North America in 1891, has had a significant impact on our native
birds. In particular, its intense competition for nesting cavities
has had a negative impact on many cavity-nesting species such as
Bluebirds, woodpeckers and Purple Martins.
- Rather than clamping their bill
shut, starlings’ jaw muscles work to force it open giving them a
great advantage when digging for grubs, worms, and bugs in the yard.
- Starlings, as members of the
Sturnidae family, are cousins to the Mynah bird and are outstanding
mimics. Individuals have been known to mimic the calls of up to 20
different bird species.
- Starlings have an impressive array
of songs and may have a repertoire of over 60 different types.
- Starlings were at one time
considered a game bird in Europe, and were hunted for food.
- Starlings often return to the same
nest cavity to raise their young each year.
- Bird banding records show the
longest known life-span for a Starling in North America to be over
15 years old.
- European Starlings have a highly
adaptable diet and eat a wide variety of foods, such as snails,
worms, millipedes, and spiders, in addition to fruits, berries,
grains, and seeds.
- Starlings can play an important role
in reducing the numbers of some of the major insect pests that
damage farm crops.
- Starlings in the Midwestern United
States migrate south in the winter, but starlings in the East tend
to be year-round residents. Young birds migrate farther than older
birds.
- Migrating flocks of Starlings can
reach enormous numbers; flocks of 100,000 birds are not uncommon.
- The European Starling is one of only
three birds not protected by the United States government. The House
Sparrow and the pigeon are the other two.
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