Starling family

[tielmama]

I was out in my yard today with my U2 and my Sennie. I heard the funniest buzzy winey beggy sounds comming from my outdoor bird feeder. It was a mom or dad starling with 4 babies begging. We were out there long enough that I saw them leave and return about 5 times. One time, one of the babies must have been trying out some seeds on his own, and he didn't notice right away that everyone else had flown away. He looked around and called out, but not very loud. He looked like he was a little nervous. Right about then, one adult came back and told him to follow, and they both flew away. They are just precious! I had some extra slightly sprouted grains and beans from my indoor birds, so I took it out for the next time they come back. I don't know how they find enough to feed those big babies. Especially with all the competition from the mocking birds and all the others out there. What a luxury to be able to sit and watch the miracle of spring in action.

[Conure & Macaw Mom]

Thats why spring is my favorite time of year, all the babies come out. Its a joy to watch them. Crystal

[serenityplace1]

Your birds are all beautiful. They look well cared for, well-fed, and well-loved.

[Monica]

It was from my understanding that starlings ate bugs... although this is some interestesting tidbit: Diet of The Wild European Starling

If they do eat seeds, then it's probably a very small part of their diet, considering that they eat mostly insects...

[tielmama]

I LOVE that they eat Japenese beetles I sure didn't know that. Monica, do you live in the city? I've seen starlings in my area eating ANYTHING. Just like all the other poor birds that can't find enough of what they really want. I see them eating french fries, bread etc. in parking lots. They always raid garbage cans. They might be looking for the bugs on the garbage though.
That was an interesting article. Have you ever seen that starling on Youtube that talks people? I think they're beautiful.

[Star]

I love baby birds..lol

[Monica]

I live in the suburbs.... furthest away one can live from the city while still living IN it... quite inconvenient... before this however we lived in a small town (population 90, with at least 1/3 of that if not more on ranches and farms) where there were starlings as well.

[homebird]

There are some amazing sites on starlings - do a search. The common starling, Sturnus vulgaris, that we have here in N. America is a lot like a magpie in that it can mimic all sorts of birds. My favourite site is: Starling Talk: The Care and Feeding of Injured and Orphaned Starlings
People who keep starlings as pets really enjoy them - you can see how creative the owners are with the cage set-ups.

European Starling - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

These birds will eat almost anything, including farmland invertebrates and berries, and garbage.
...
This is a noisy bird uttering a wide variety of mechanical-sounding and melodic sounds, including a distinctive "wolf whistle." Starlings are also noted as mimics, like many of its family. In captivity, Starlings will learn to imitate all types of sounds and speech earning them the nickname "Poor-man's Myna".

Last fall at the farm, I parked my car by the silo & the starlings bombed my car until it looked green. My step-son said a nest of starlings is beside his balcony - he's waiting until they fledge & then he's calling the superintendent to close the hole. Apparently the mess is quite unpleasant.

Backyard Birds of Winter in Nova Scotia
.....The name Starling means little star' and refers to the off white spots on the Starling's plumage. These spots appear in the fall and are gradually worn off during the winter, revealing a much blacker looking bird by spring.

I read they eat their weight in mosquitoes - per day. I like their looks as well. But their poop is large & green & messy - yuk.

[Peregrine Harlequin]

Half of the time I love watching starlings, listening to their various sounds, and wondering just what they'd be like as a pet. They remind me so much of our lovebird. And when the sun hits them, they can be surprisingly beautiful.


The other times I'm cursing that non-native species that's forcing native birds out of their traditional habitats, and wondering why they ever had to be brought to this continent. But I guess that's just the way things go, and there's not much one can do now to change it.


Yet more and more frequently I find myself thinking of starlings as discussed in American Kestrels in Modern Falconry. For as much as I enjoy parrots, passerines, and other friendly feathered folks, raptors truly are the queens of my heart. Hopefully I'll get to hunt with one someday.

As much as I'd love to be a perch for one of nature's most revered predators, I honestly wonder if I have it in me to choose to kill any living thing. For now I guess I'll keep working towards that falconry goal while I enjoy and appreciate the wild starlings around me. And if I ever do get to fly that kestrel, maybe I'll also keep a starling as a pet. Just to torture myself.

Err, I mean "balance things out."