During the last century, European Starlings overran North America – at least the United States and Canada. The northern part of Mexico has some Starling activity, but the Mexicans have been spared much of the invasion.
The magnitude of the problem can best be summed up by this statement from an Audubon.org story titled “Birdist Rule #72: It’s Okay to Hate Starlings.” “There are probably more European Starlings in the United States than any other species,” the story reads. “But there shouldn’t be any at all — they’re invasives.”
kAm%92E >2<6D E9:D DE@CJ D@F?5 2 =:EE=6 =:<6 >@56C? A@=:E:4D]k^Am
kAm%9:D 3:C5 @C:8:?2==J 92:=65 7C@> tFC@A6[ E96 |:55=6 t2DE 2?5 (6DE6C? pD:2] qFE tFC@A62? $E2C=:?8D 92G6 366? :?EC@5F465 E@ >2?J E6>A6C2E6 4=:>2E6D 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5[ :? 3@E9 E96 ?@CE96C? 2?5 D@FE96C? 96>:DA96C6D]k^Am
kAmxE’D ?@ D64C6E E92E 6IA6CED G:6H tFC@A62? DE2C=:?8D ?682E:G6=J 3642FD6 E96J 5@ 42FD6 2 ?F>36C @7 AC@3=6>D 7@C ?2E:G6 3:C5D 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ] qFE J@F’G6 2=D@ 8@E E@ 25>:C6 E96 3:C5D’ 244@>A=:D9>6?E 96C6i %96 }@CE9 p>6C:42? $E2C=:?8 3@@> :D 2 42D6 @7 H:=5=J DF446DD7F= 252AE2E:@? E@ E96 }6H (@C=5[ 2 =@E =:<6 E96 9F>2? D6EE=6CD 7C@> tFC@A6 E92E 7=@@565 :? 2 46?EFCJ 367@C6] %96D6 3:C5D 2C6 288C6DD:G6[ 7=6I:3=6[ D>2CE 2?5 C6D@FC467F=[ 2?5 E96J E@@< 7F== 25G2?E286 @7 ?6H E6CC:E@CJ]k^Am
kAm%96J ‘:?G2565’ @FC 4@F?ECJ :? `gh_ H:E9 HC@?8\962565 2DD:DE2?46 7C@> E96 p>6C:42? p44=:>2E:K2E:@? $@4:6EJ[ 2 8C@FA E92E H2?E65 E@ A@AF=2E6 p>6C:42 H:E9 2== E96 3:C5 DA64:6D >6?E:@?65 :? $92<6DA62C6’D HC:E:?8D] $@ E96J C6=62D65 2 E@E2= @7 23@FE `__ 3:C5D :? }6H *@C< r:EJ’D r6?EC2= !2C< @? D6G6C2= @442D:@?D] p?5 :E H@C<65] p=E9@F89 E96C6 2C6 2E =62DE 2 5@K6? DF3DA64:6D @7 tFC@A62? $E2C=:?8D 7@F?5 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5[ :? }@CE9 p>6C:42 E96C6 :D @?=J @?6[ 2?5 2== E96 DE2C=:?8D 7@F?5 96C6 2C6 2=>@DE 86?6E:42==J :?5:DE:?8F:D923=6 7C@> E9@D6 C6=62D65 :? r6?EC2= !2C< `b_ J62CD 28@]k^Am
kAm$E2C=:?8D E2<6 @G6C 9@=6D :? EC66D FD65 7@C ?6DE:?8 3J 2 H:56 C2?86 @7 ?2E:G6 3:C5D[ 7C@> 3=F63:C5D E@ @H=D[ H@@5A64<6CD[ AFCA=6 >2CE:?D[ ?FE92E496D 2?5 49:4<2566D] %96J @7E6? 7=J :? 9F86 7=@4<D 2?5 42? 52>286 28C:4F=EFC6 4C@AD :? D9@CE @C56C] xE :D 6DE:>2E65 E92E tFC@A62? $E2C=:?8D 42FD6 >@C6 E92? Sg__ >:==:@? :? 4C@A 52>286 6249 J62C] %96J 2C6 ?@:DJ 2?5 42? DAC625 5:D62D6 2?5 :?G2D:G6 D665D H:E9 E96:C H2DE6]k^Am
kAmtFC@A62? $E2C=:?8D 2C6 52C<[ >65:F> D:K65 3:C5D[ 23@FE E96 D:K6 @7 2 #@3:?] %96J H6:89 36EH66? a 2?5 b\`^a @F?46D 2?5 92G6 H:?8DA2?D @7 `a E@ `e :?496D] %96:C 3@5:6D 2C6 4@>A24E 2?5 49F?<J] %96J 92G6 D9@CE[ A@:?E65 E2:=D 2?5 H:?8D] %96J 92G6 D92CA=J A@:?E65 362<D] x? 7=:89E[ E96:C A@:?E65 362<D[ H:?8D 2?5 E2:=D >2<6 E96> =@@< D@>6E9:?8 =:<6 7@FC\A@:?E65 DE2CD[ H9:49 :D 9@H E96J 86E E96:C ‘DE2C=:?8’ ?2>6] %96J 2=D@ 2C6 42==65 r@>>@? $E2C=:?8D] %96:C D4:6?E:7:4 ?2>6 :D k6>m$EFC?FD GF=82C:D[k^6>m H9:49 32D:42==J >62?D ‘4@>>@? DE2C=:?8’ :? {2E:?]k^Am
kAmuC@> 2 5:DE2?46[ tFC@A62? $E2C=:?8D =@@< 3=24<[ 3FE E96J 24EF2==J H62C 4@2ED @7 >2?J 4@=@CD] sFC:?8 E96 3C665:?8 D62D@?[ E96J 92G6 52C< 8C66?\AFCA=6 :C:56D46?E A=F>286 7=64<65 H:E9 E2? 2?5 3C@H?[ 2?5 E96J 92G6 J6==@H 362<D] q:C5D E92E 2C6 ?@E :? 3C665:?8 >@56 42? 92G6 >F49 >@C6 3C@H? 2?5 H9:E6 DA64<=:?8 :? E96:C A=F>286[ 2?5 E96:C 3:==D 2C6 52C<6C] yFG6?:=6D 2C6 2=>@DE 2== D2?5J 3C@H? H:E9 52C< 3:==D]k^Am
kAm%96D6 3:C5D 2C6 G6CJ G@42=[ 2?5 2 =2C86 8C@FA :? 2 EC66 @C A@H6C =:?6 @C E@H6C @C 3F:=5:?8 :D DFA6C ?@:DJ[ 2D E96 3:C5D >2<6 2 >JC:25 @7 D@F?5D[ 7C@> 4=:4<D 2?5 H9:DE=6D E@ H9:CC:?8 ?@:D6D] tFC@A62? $E2C=:?8D 2=D@ 2C6 >:>:4D E92E 42? :>:E2E6 E96 42==D @7 2 H:56 C2?86 @7 p>6C:42? DA64:6D[ 7C@> #65\%2:=65 w2H<D E@ p>6C:42? #@3:?D[ 2D H6== 2D 9F>2? G@:46D 2?5 6G6? E96 D@F?5 @7 2 >249:?6 @C 2 A6E]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 4@@=6DE E9:?8D 23@FE tFC@A62? $E2C=:?8D :D 9@H E96J 7=J :? DJ?49C@?:K65 >@E:@? 2D 2 4=@F5 @7 3:C5D 42==65 2 ‘>FC>FC2E:@?]’ p?J@?6 H9@ 92D H2E4965 D49@@=D @7 >:??@HD >@G:?8 E@86E96C H@F=5 C64@8?:K6 E96 DE2C=:?8D’ 7=:89E 2D 2? 2BF2E:4 5:DA=2J @7 E96 D2>6 3692G:@C] p?5 :E :D 72D4:?2E:?8 E@ H2E49 9F?5C65D @C E9@FD2?5D W@C =:E6C2==J >:==:@?D[ :? D@>6 =@42E:@?DX @7 3:C5D 5:G:?8 2?5 DH:C=:?8 2?5 EFC?:?8 E@86E96C =:<6 E:?J q=F6 p?8=6D[ 7=J:?8 4=@D6 H:E9@FE 3F>A:?8 6249 @E96C[ E96:C 7=@4< =@@<:?8 2=E6C?2E6=J E9:? 2?5 56?D6 2D :E EFC?D :? 2 ?2EFC2==J 2CE:DE:4 8C@FA 5:DA=2J] $@>6E:>6D[ E96D6 =2C86 7=@4<D @7 DE2C=:?8D :?4=F56 @E96C DA64:6D =:<6 4@H3:C5D 2?5 3=24<3:C5D]k^Am
kAm~>?:G@C@FD tFC@A62? $E2C=:?8D 62E 2=>@DE 6G6CJE9:?8 E96J 4@>6 24C@DD[ 7C@> 2 H:56 C2?86 @7 :?D64ED E@ 62CE9H@C>D[ D?2:=D 2?5 =:K2C5D E@ 8C2:?D 2?5 7CF:E 2?5 6G6? 3:C5D’ 688D E@ E:4<D @? 4@HD’ 324<D 2?5 =:G6DE@4< 7665]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 DAC:?8 2?5 DF>>6C 3C665:?8 D62D@?[ F?2EE24965 >2=6D 7:?5 EC66 42G:E:6D 2?5 3F:=5 E96:C ?6DED[ FD:?8 H92E6G6C E96J 42? 7:?5 E@ A25 E96 :?D:56[ E@ 2EEC24E 2 A2CE?6C[ 2?5 E96J D:?8 H9:=6 E96J H@C<] %96J 2C6 <?@H? E@ FD6 7=@H6CD 2?5 96C3D E@ >2<6 E96 A@E6?E:2= 9@>6 =@@< 2?5 D>6== 36EE6C 7@C A@E6?E:2= >2E6D] (96? 2 82= 7=:6D 4=@D6[ E96 >2=6 C2E496ED FA 9:D D@?8 :? 2 3:5 E@ 86E 96C 2EE6?E:@?] ~?46 E96 A2:C 4@AF=2E6D[ E96 76>2=6 =2JD 2 A2=6 3=F6 @C H9:E:D9 688 6249 52J 7@C 7@FC @C 7:G6 52JD] $96 2?5 96C >2=6 A2CE?6C D:E @? E96 688D 7@C 23@FE `b 52JD A6C 688[ D@ H:E9:? E9C66 H66<D 2== E96 49:4<D 2C6 92E4965]k^Am
kAmr9:4<D 2C6 3@C? 3=:?5 2?5 762E96C=6DD[ 3FE E96:C 762E96CD DE2CE 4@>:?8 :? H:E9:? 2 H66<[ 2?5 ?:?6 52JD 27E6C 92E49:?8[ E96:C 6J6D @A6?] %9C66 H66<D 27E6C E96J 92E49[ E96J 7=6586 2?5 27E6C 2?@E96C H66< @C EH@[ E96J 9625 @77 @? E96:C @H?] $E2C=:?8 4@FA=6D 42? C2:D6 FA E@ E9C66 3C@@5D 2 J62C[ 3FE EH@ :D E96 2G6C286 :? @FC A2CE @7 E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAmx? `he_[ 2 =2C86 7=@4< @7 DE2C=:?8D :? q@DE@? H2D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C H92E :D DE:== E96 >@DE 5625=J 3:C5\42FD65 2:CA=2?6 4C2D9 :? &]$] 9:DE@CJ] $:IEJ\EH@ A6@A=6 5:65 H96? 2 EFC3@AC@A 2:CA=2?6 7=6H E9C@F89 E96 3:C5D[ DF4<:?8 2 ?F>36C @7 DE2C=:?8D :?E@ E96 6?8:?6D[ H9:49 42FD65 2 A@H6C 72:=FC6 2?5 D6?E E96 A=2?6 5@H? :?E@ E96 D62]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 >@DE &]$] 3:C5D 2C6 AC@E64E65[ D:?46 tFC@A62? $E2C=:?8D 2C6 2? :?G2D:G6 DA64:6D[ E96C6 2C6 ?@ AC@E64E:@?D 282:?DE <:==:?8 E96> @C C6>@G:?8 ?6DED :? @FC 4@F?ECJ] x? 724E[ E96 &]$] 8@G6C?>6?E :ED6=7 A@:D@?65[ EC2AA65 2?5 D9@E `]f >:==:@? 3:C5D :? a__g]k^Am
kAmqFE tFC@A62? $E2C=:?8D 2C6 ?@E 56DA:D65 3J 2==] %96J 5@ H6== :? 42AE:G:EJ[ 2?5 E96:C 23:=:EJ E@ >:>:4 92D >256 >2?J 2 AC:K65 A6E] |@K2CE :D D2:5 E@ 92G6 @H?65 2 DE2C=:?8 E92E 96 3@F89E 27E6C 962C:?8 :E D:?8 A2CE @7 k6>m!:2?@ r@?46CE@ :? v |2;@Ck^6>m[ H9:49 96 925 HC:EE6? D6G6C2= H66<D 62C=:6C 3FE 925 ?@E 366? A=2J65 AF3=:4=J]k^Am
kAmk6>m$@>6 :?7@C>2E:@? 7@C E9:D 2CE:4=6 42>6 7C@> r@C?6== &?:G6CD:EJ’D p== p3@FE q:C5D H63D:E6[ E96 pF5F3@? $@4:6EJ[ }2E:@?2= !F3=:4 #25:@ 2?5 %96 $ACF46]k^6>mk^Am
