by Kim Doner
Historically, many immigrants to the New World had no qualms
about wagging familiars from home with them, whether the effects proved benign or catastrophic for America’s native populations. Everything from measles to kudzu has invaded and flourished.
I’m going to address one, however, that has received grudging acceptance — which is wise on behalf of bird lovers, being as how not a whole lot can be done to control the population anyway. It’s a case of might as well here, so let’s look at some positives, if for no other reason than comfort.
I’m referring to starlings.
Starlings Are Generally Obnoxious
I can feel the vibes from my bird-nerd buddies as they shudder upon reading the word. Starlings are right up there with English sparrows as far as being heartily disliked; they are loud, awkward, messy, and aggressive. They gang up and bully other birds, steal their food, trash their habitat,
and don’t hesitate to assert dominance. In short, bird fans consider them pests (at best), and many people believe they should be treated as such.
But maybe not.
I can fully agree that starlings are in general pretty obnoxious. It’s fitting that their Latin name is Sturnus vulgaris. Stocky, robin-sized, and speckled with an iridescent feather pattern over dark grayto-charcoal plumage, these guys seldom appear solo. Sociable starlings band together in large groups, with popular terms for such being a chattering, a clutter, a filth, a scourge, and a vulgarity.
Their diets are focused mainly on fruits and insects, but they can survive on almost anything (possessing disposable enzymes that allow them to rapidly break down alcohol) and hence are often referred to as trash birds. Starlings lay as many as seven bluish to greenish eggs and often choose to build a large, sloppy nest inside a drainpipe, your attic, your laundry vent, or
anywhere else where clogging up a crevice will create a nuisance and/or smell.
Starlings Have Redeeming Traits
However…. (As promised, there are some positives here.) Let me share some redeeming traits.
First, starlings are quite intelligent (my personal bias: I like intelligent animals). Stories differ as to their arrival on the continent. It was possibly because French scientist/scholar Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz (whoa! It took a while to type that!) traveled through Ohio in 1815 or maybe it was in the 1890s (a time when certain politicians believed the United States needed all birds mentioned by Shakespeare), but the fact remains that 60 or more of these guys were released in New York City’s Central Park in 1890 by Shakespearean fan Eugene Schieffelin, of the American Acclimatization Society.
Unlike several other species that didn’t fare so well, starlings thrived.
January / February 2023 • TulsaPets 31
Soon, murmurations (isn’t that a wonderful word?) made up of thousands of starlings could be seen in the United States. This phenomenon is mesmerizing because the birds swoop and turn in ever-changing loops to create a living cloud in the sky. Because there are more than 200 million starlings flapping across the USA, murmurations have become common.
(Thanks, Eugene?)
Starlings Can Be Companions
There is also good reason to suspect that starlings were brought here as companions, which leads one to wonder who would want one. It appears that many people do, if you would like a bird buddy who can talk with your investment of patience and love.
Starlings are related to mynahs; both are from the family Sturnidae and are talented mimics. They can convincingly sound like car alarms, telephones, human voices, and other birds. If a starling is kept as a pet, it’s quite possible that it could be taught to say, “I saw that,” then released to victimize those enjoying the great outdoors. (Frankly, I love the idea of a voice from an invisible entity commenting such above anyone who happens to stroll beneath it, but that would be me.)
As pets, not pests, starlings like toys and playing fetch, and their bright little minds have even devised tools to fetch food just like their corvid friends. They are quite responsive and will communicate when they favor something, be it people, music, or food. If this sounds engaging, you can look forward to having this feathered family member for as long as 15 years, which also means you’ll be responsible for socialization and stimulating exercises so your bird doesn’t get grumpy.
If a grumpy starling sounds trivial, take a look at those beaks. Starlings are wired for open-bill probing, which fits with any animals termed vulgaris in imagining. This talent means the bird has the ability to insert the bill into a crevice and forcefully open it there, which creates a larger opening — and exposes whatever prey the bird seeks. Starlings are quite stubborn when they are focused on something, so chances of success stay high.
Starlings Can Be Yours
So let’s say you’re sold. You want a starling as a pet, but you wonder about the legalities of simply taking a wild nestling to be your own. Good news! You’re covered!
Starlings, English sparrows, and pigeons are nonnative, so you are not bound by federal laws in keeping them, but (as with
all animals), any cruelty laws will always apply. Many wildlife rehabilitators began their journeys by experiencing starlings. They are usually hardy, easy to house, and wildly enthusiastic about mealtime.
Your next step is taking one (or more) into your care. No problem! Just wait until springtime, and call Wing It at (918) 508- 9607. This group of saints will guide you, and when you’re ready, will provide you with a clutch of baby starlings, complete with directions for feeding and housing. In no time, your family will have a gang of gaping maws to fill.
Baby starlings have enormous bright yellow beaks that almost glow in the dark when they gape — making easy target practice when feeding. Although they are initially homely, these kids emerge as kinda cute juveniles, quickly learning to perch and self-feed. From there, you’ll see vigorous flapping, short flights, and finally, full-on soaring — right back to you when you’re in the yard because you are their favorite food source and forever best friend.
Just imagine … your voice, calling in the backyard, and a dark shape alights on your shoulder once it hears….
“Oh, my starling, oh, my starling, oh, my staaaaaaarling Clementine!”
As you too become a bird nerd….
