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Wesley's Backyard Birds
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| Beginning with 60 individuals introduced into Central Park in New York City in the early 1890s, the European Starling has become one of the most numerous birds on the North American continent. Its successful spread is believed to have come at the expense of many native birds that compete with the starling for nest holes. All the European Starlings in North America descended from the 60 birds released. After two failed attempts to establish them, the American Acclimatization Society group successfully released 60 European Starlings in New York's Central Park. The group were dedicated to introducing America to all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare's works. Today, European Starlings range from Alaska to Florida and northern Mexico, and their population is estimated at over 200 million birds. When not in the breeding season Starlings will gather in enormous flocks ranging from several hundred to over a million. Flocks are noted for forming a tight sphere-like formation in flight, frequently expanding and contracting and changing shape, all seemingly without any sort of leader. They're really pretty but they'll come in, chase off the other birds and will quickly wipe out my feeders so I'm regularly having to chase them off. |
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| European Starling Breeding Plumage | ||||||
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| European Starling Winter Plumage | ||||||
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