365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Friday, February 23, 2018
The Undarling Starling
Day 133: Despite his cute coat of neat "knit stitches" (the non-breeding phase colouration), the European Starling is no one's darling. Sturnus vulgaris was introduced to North America some time in the late 1800s and now outcompetes other birds ranging from swallows and bluebirds to larger species such as woodpeckers as well, taking over their nesting cavities and forcing them out of their territories. Starlings generally congregate in flocks which may consist of hundreds or thousands. Nest-building is begun by the males but is completed by the female. Nesting material may include bits of greenery and flowers placed by the male as an attractant; upon accepting him as a mate, the female removes the fresh bits, leaving only grasses, twigs and other pieces of dry material in the nest cup. Prolific, Starlings can raise up to three broods of 4-5 chicks per year. Oddly, the advance of agriculture has led to a decline in the number of Starlings present in Europe, although they are still a long way from being listed as a "species of concern" in their homeland.
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