Rondeau Ric

  Four and twenty blackbirds. Some of the large flock of young starlings that descend on our little water feature today. I suppose I will have to refill the reservoir again. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, June 17, 2025. European Starling  Sturnus vulgaris, Starlings are great vocal mimics: individuals can learn the calls of up to 20 different species. Birds whose songs starlings often copy include the Eastern Wood-Pewee, Killdeer, meadowlarks, Northern Bobwhite, Wood Thrush, Red-tailed Hawk, American Robin, Northern Flicker, and many others.

 Starlings can be very pretty, one at a time. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, October 21, 2024. The problem comes when hundreds descend into your yard and take over all the feeders, carpet the lawn and monopolize the water feature. Sturnus vulgaris Starlings are great vocal mimics: individuals can learn the calls of up to 20 different species. Birds whose songs starlings often copy include the Eastern Wood-Pewee, Killdeer, meadowlarks, Northern Bobwhite, Wood Thrush, Red-tailed Hawk, American Robin, Northern Flicker, and many others.

There were more starlings in the bird bath but several flew before I got the shot. There was plenty of room in the garden stream. Sturnus vulgaris All the European Starlings in North America descended from 100 birds set loose in New York's Central Park in the early 1890s. The birds were intentionally released by a group who wanted America to have all the birds that Shakespeare ever mentioned. It took several tries, but eventually the population took off. Today, more than 200 million European Starlings range from Alaska to Mexico, and many people consider them pests. source - allaboutbirds-org

Dec 1, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. A nuisance in large flocks, appealing one at a time in winter plumage. Sturnus vulgaris All the European Starlings in North America descended from 100 birds set loose in New York's Central Park in the early 1890s. The birds were intentionally released by a group who wanted America to have all the birds that Shakespeare ever mentioned. It took several tries, but eventually the population took off. Today, more than 200 million European Starlings range from Alaska to Mexico, and many people consider them pests. Starlings are strong fliers that can get up to speeds of 48 mph. source -  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling

Starlings, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, July 31, 2019 One of the many species that come to the yard. Sturnus vulgaris All the European Starlings in North America descended from 100 birds set loose in New York's Central Park in the early 1890s. The birds were intentionally released by a group who wanted America to have all the birds that Shakespeare ever mentioned.

Found this starling chick on the road. Moved it to the sided, hope the adults can find it. Not a fan of starlings, but one at a time they aren't bad for an invasive species. Sturnus vulgaris Starlings are great vocal mimics: individuals can learn the calls of up to 20 different species. Birds whose songs starlings often copy include the Eastern Wood-Pewee, Killdeer, meadowlarks, Northern Bobwhite, Wood Thrush, Red-tailed Hawk, American Robin, Northern Flicker, and many others. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling/lifehistory

It is "just" a starling starling basically a nuisance bird. First brought to North America by Shakespeare enthusiasts in the nineteenth century, European Starlings are now among the continent’s most numerous songbird As a single bird they can be very handsome in flocks of hundreds they can clean out your feeders in the blink of an eye. Sturnus vulgaris Starlings are boisterous, loud, and they travel in large groups (often with blackbirds and grackles). They race across fields, beak down and probing the grass for food; or they sit high on wires or trees making a constant stream of rattles, whirrs, and whistles. The oldest recorded wild European Starling was 15 years 9 months old. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Starling in a hole , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. He was scouting our a snag beside our house earlier this spring. I guess it wasn't up to standard as it wasn't used. Scientific stuff Sturnus vulgaris First brought to North America by Shakespeare enthusiasts in the nineteenth century, European Starlings are now among the continent’s most numerous songbirds. They are stocky black birds with short tails, triangular wings, and long, pointed bills. Though they’re sometimes resented for their abundance and aggressiveness, they’re still dazzling birds when you get a good look. Covered in white spots during winter, they turn dark and glossy in summer. For much of the year, they wheel through the sky and mob lawns in big, noisy flocks. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling/id