Starlings are beginning to cluster, readying for a migration that goes nowhere. However some starlings from farther north do rather enjoy the winters in Toronto so you often see large clusters of them cackling and having a grand old time under the beams of the Gardiner during the colder months. They can be heard over the noisy traffic uttering a wide variety of mechanical-sounding and melodic sounds, including a distinctive "wolf whistle", not unlike construction workers appreciating the cut and style of fashionable clothing as seen on the street. Starlings are noted mimics, and in captivity they learn to imitate all types of sounds and speech, so it is possible they have picked up that sound from humans.

     Starlings were first brought to North America from England in the 1890s by Eugene Schieffelin, a wealthy New York pharmacologist and Shakespeare enthusiast. It is thought that his desire  was to introduce into North America all the birds mentioned in William Shakespeare's plays. As starlings receive a brief mention in Henry IV, Schieffelin introduced 60 of the birds in Central Park, New York, and never knew that this odd passion of his would change forever the bird populations of North America. Their numbers rapidly rose, displacing many native birds by essentially  being quicker and better at nabbing the best real estate on the bird market. The Starling Population has risen to an estimated 200 million and besides eating a lot of insects they have a penchant for fresh fruit when in season. They have been a 'problem species' or pest for a long time in fruit growing areas like Ontario. Any attempts control the population of this remarkably adaptable species has met with spectacular  failure. In the 1960's in California over 9 million starlings were killed with no long term effect at all. In another control attempt, more than a million were killed by spraying detergent on a major winter roost (the detergent destroyed the insulating effect of the bird's feathers) again there was no long term effect on numbers and there was a rapid recovery.

    The Bluebird has suffered a severe decline in Ontario and is seldom seen or heard. There was once a fair population in High Park, but the manner of park maintenance in the 1970’s left an ever shrinking habitat for them. Bluebirds are not a subdivision type of bird, they need open native grassland with scattered trees and tree cavities like those that occur in many hardwoods. However the starlings have taken up all the remaining best sights leaving the poor bluebird to go extinct for all the starling’s care. While most ‘birders’ would prefer bluebirds to starlings, any program of slaughtering starlings would seem cruel and is unlikely. Starlings seem to thrive in the same range and numbers as the now extinct passenger pigeon which was hunted relentlessly for sport in the late 1800’s in North America.

     A call to arms against the starling would not gain many supporters here however in Western Australia the government pays full-time hunters 5 million a year to shoot Starlings. It seems a tremendous oversight that a Movie or TV series about it has not been made as yet. Crickey! “The Starling Hunter” would be a hit in some circles, for sure.

    The Starling is here to stay like an invited guest that has long displaced the original inhabitants. In a sense the bird has become more ‘native’ than the natives. If you would like to hear and see a Bluebird in Toronto you will have to click here as thats as close as you will get to these once beautiful and uniquely North American birds. Starlings can often be heard in the early mornings in Parkdale sounding like someone after an all night cigaratte and whiskey party. These birds imitate a wide range of noises and are excellent mimics, not unlike British Actors and Comediens.

    The Starling has become the most populous bird in most areas in North America and in fact is one of the birds that most people living today will be fimiliar with. As the season gets colder and the starlings begin to cluster into massive flocks, give a thought to these birds of Willaim Shakespeare, maybe even catch an outdoor play while you may in High Park once home to the Bluebird,Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, now the domain of the European Starling.

 

Daeran Gall
info@myneighbourhood.ca