European Starlings

[Jim Jensen]

I had a flock of Starlings blow through with the snow on Christmas. These are fun birds to watch as the take off and land almost in unison. I haven't seen any around here for a few months.

[Todd Caswell]

Iv'e got some around my place, I had to look up what they were, I had never seen them before. They love the suet off the Deer I saved.

[Jim Jensen]

It is true they love the suet. Especially in they spring when they are feeding chicks.

[Steve Foss]

Maligned by many, they are a riot to watch. Well, unless you're down to your last two pounds of seed on a Sunday morning with the feed store closed for the day and 1,594 of them drop in unexpectedly for breakfast.

Nice images, FJ!

[mplspug]

I used to see starlings all the time growing up in the NE suburbs. I can't remember the last time I saw one, if ever, here in Richfield.

[Dotch]

Want some? You can have mine! If you like starlings fine, and no offense here, but I can't say I'm real enamored with them. Starlings are implicated in carrying at least 25 livestock and human diseases including salmonella and e. coli, most recently being mentioned as a possible vector in some of the contaimnated produce cases. Large flocks of starlings are well known to be potential hazards around airports where they may be sucked into jet aircraft engines during takeoffs and landings. Their habit of competing with native birds such as wood ducks and bluebirds for nesting boxes doesn't set real well with me personally. They are good for one thing though: Keeping my eye sharp with both the .22 and the scattergun. Have to be quick!

[benbosh]

They are good for one thing though: Keeping my eye sharp with both the .22 and the scattergun. Have to be quick!

That they are..

[paul pachowicz]

I just have to tell this story about starlings. I was stationed in southern Turkey in Adana, Turkey (Incirlik AB ). One of the 1st things I did was to join the Rod & Gun club. I was in criminal investigations and we had an interpetor that also hunted and fished. Anyway, shortly after I got there he told me that the Rod & Gun was going on a "starling slaughter". They would migrate thru on thier way to Russia by the 100 of thousands and roost in the trees between the barracks leaving several inches of droppings which were a health hazard. We'd get under the trees before dusk, let em roost and open up with shoutguns, en masse. 100's would hit the ground and get picked up by the grocery bag full by the Turkish guards. I asked the interpetor what they were gonna do with em. He kinda gave me shhhhhhhhh gesture and said "you'll see, we'll go over there". After one more volley the shooting was done for that day. So, we head over to the Turkish barracks only to find a heap of carcasses de-breasted and skewered on shish-kabob sticks cooking over charcoals. They served em smattered with some kind of sesame seed sauce that I could never duplicate. Believe me, they were delicous and actually as good if not better then dove.

[mplspug]

No, I am not enamored with starlings, not in the least. I don't miss them. Although they do look kind of cool when their plumage is really speckled. And it is interesting trying to pick out the different birds they are mimicking when the sing. I think I even remember one that could do a pretty good eagle screech. I guess I find them as useful as House Sparrows which, if I am not mistaken, are not native either.