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Carol Keeler | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery:Perching Birds, Passerines > European Starling
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29-FEB-2008

European Starling

Bringing some of the birds named in Shakespeare's writing to America was not one of the brightest ideas our early settler's had. They are very much a nuisance bird. However, the iridescent sheen of their winter plumage is quite lovely. At this time of year, they show up at my suet feeders and since it's only a few birds at a time, I put up with them. At times huge flocks land on the lawn. Again I tolerate them because they are busy eating the larva of the Japanese beetle. They do harm to crops, but for me, they can be a help. They compete for nesting with our native cavity nesters such as the bluebird. This I do not allow, but force them to vacate. So far they have not given me trouble over nesting spaces. It's the house sparrow that does that, another unwelcome visitor. The starling is not a bird I like, but merely tolerate. I wonder how they are viewed in their native land.

Nikon D2x
1/1500s f/7.1 at 500.0mm iso320 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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