Q: Today our fruit growers are plagued by large flocks of European starlings. I don't remember these birds being around when I was a child. Where did they come from?

A: You can lay the blame on William Shakespeare who wrote the line "Nay, I'll have a starling taught to speak nothing but 'Mortimer'" in the play Henry IV.

In the late nineteenth century a group called The American Acclimatization Society had the goal of introducing every bird mentioned in Shakespeare's works to the United States. In 1890-91 sixty starlings were released into New York's Central Park. Of all the birds introduced by this group, only the starlings flourished. Skylarks, for example, were also introduced but didn't adapt well and died out. Within one hundred years the starlings had increased to around 200 million! These highly adaptable and fertile birds had reached the Pacific Northwest by the 1950s. They have harmed native bird populations, such as Bluebirds, by chasing them out of their nests, making bluebird boxes necessary. These nesting boxes have entrance holes too small for the chunky starlings.

Starlings are capable of living in varied habitats including woodlands, open fields, suburbs and cities. Only heavy forest seems unsuitable for them. They will build their sloppy cup nest in any cavity available, natural or manmade. They raise two or three broods of four to six young in a year. They nest in loose colonies that lay their eggs at the same time - a practice that reduces the percentage lost to predators.

Starlings will eat large amounts of grain from cattle feed lots as well as seriously harming fruit crops. Ask anyone with cherry trees. Their habit of living in large flocks leads them to cause serious fouling in areas under bridges, in parks or around large buildings. Attempts to eradicate them have failed, due to their successful high reproduction. Although they will winter here, taking full advantage of bird feeders, they will tend to move south or towards the coast in cold weather.

A final note, the quotation that brought the birds to this continent reflects their gift as a mimic. They will use the calls of other species and learn sounds such as squeaky gates or machine grinding. That is why they were so popular as talking birds in Shakespeare's time.

2005-11