Home / News / Critter Chatter Archive / July 2009 - Starlings

Starling Trivia:

What do you call a group of Starlings?

   a) A Brood
   b) A Murmuration
   c) A Host

Correct Trivia Answer:
B) A Murmuration



Smaller than a robin, the Starling is a stocky bird, iridescent black in color except in the spring when feathers are a shimmering green and purple. The Starling is easily recognizable with its short, square-tipped tail and pointed wings and a long pointed bill. During the breeding season, the bill turns yellow in color.

Its large roosts, often located on buildings, may contain tens of thousands of birds. Hordes of these birds can create extreme noise, damage vegetable or fruit crops, and do considerable damage around feedlots. Big Ben (the famous clock) was slowed five minutes one day when a passing group of starlings decided to take a rest on the minute hand of the clock.

Starlings compete with native hole-nesters for woodpecker holes and natural cavities. There has been much debate regarding their economic value, but their consumption of insects, such as locusts and ground beetles, seems to tip the balance.

Introduced into North America in the 1890s, the European Starling quickly spread across the continent. It is a fierce competitor for nest cavities, and frequently expels native bird species. It is believed to be responsible for a decline in native cavity-nesting bird populations, but a study in 2003 found few actual effects on populations of 27 native species. Only sapsuckers showed declines because of starlings, and other species appeared to be holding their own against the invaders.

 

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