Photo 2642376, (c) Roberto R. Calderón, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Roberto R. Calderón

Attribution © Roberto R. Calderón
some rights reserved
Uploaded by aguilita aguilita
Source iNaturalist
Associated observations

Photos / Sounds

What

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Observer

aguilita

Date

October 6, 2014

Description

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

6 October 2014: While on an errand to the US Post Office on Colorado Boulevard in Denton, Texas, we came across a small flock of European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) sporting their fall feathered coats. We present one such example here in this observation, European Starling. According to Audubon’s thumbnail sketch for this bird species, “Often regarded as a pest, the Starling wins our grudging admiration for its adaptability, toughness, and seeming intelligence. Brought to North America in 1890, it has spread to occupy most of the continent, and is now abundant in many areas. Sociable at most seasons, Starlings may gather in immense flocks in fall and winter. When the flocks break up for the breeding season, males reveal a skill for mimicry, interrupting their wheezing and sputtering songs with perfect imitations of other birds.” European Starling’s range is now solidly that of a permanent range throughout the United States and all of southern Canada and extending increasingly into northern Mexico; it ranges from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean and to the Gulf of Mexico and Sea of Cortez. Because of its spreading non-native status throughout North America, European Starling is now considered a resident of North America.

Sources:

“European Starling,” All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, range map, photographs, description, songs, accessed 11.11.15, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling/id

“European Starling,” Audubon, Guide to North American Birds, range map, photographs, description, accessed 11.11.15, https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/european-starling

“European Starling,” National Geographic, range map, photographs, illustrations, description, accessed 11.11.15, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/european-starling?source=A-to-Z

Sizes