Where is the european starling invading

Feare ; Kahane ; "Encarta Online" Adult starling males and females mature to a length of about Both males and females have similar iridescent green glossed feathers covering the back, nape, and breast. The black wings are occasionally seen with a veneer of green and purple. In winter when the tips of the feathers have eroded away, a white or cream colored "flecking" appears against a dusky black background, primarily on the breast. This accounts for the non-breeding plumage of the adult birds.

The shape of these feathers is rounded at the base and jagged toward the tip. Both sexes also share similarities in leg color reddish brown , iris color dark brown , and in the seasonal changes in bill color yellow during mating season, otherwise black. Sexual dimorphism is also plentiful. Males have elongated feathers over the breast, whereas females have short and petite plumes. Males sport a bluish spot at the base of their beaks, while the female displays a reddish pink speck.

In juvenile birds, the fine gloss is not as noticeable as in the adults. Juvenile birds also tend to have more rounded tips at their wings. And unlike the adult yellow bill, juveniles display a brownish-black shade year-round.

Breeding season generally begins in the spring and ends in early summer for the Northern Hemisphere, from late March until early July and for the Southern Hemisphere, from September to December. The length of the breeding season fluctuates from year to year. Endemic starlings in Europe commonly go through three distinct phases of breeding, each resulting in a clutch of eggs.

The first clutch, containing about five eggs, is usually synchronized with egg laying of other starlings in the area. The second or "intermediate clutch" of eggs, is the result of the starlings' polygynous practice.

The third clutch, which is not as synchronized as the first, typically occurs about forty to fifty days after the first. Starling eggs are predominantly glossy light blue and white.

Incubation of these eggs lasts about eleven days. Females, with more developed incubation patches, incubate the eggs for the majority of time. Because of the starlings' high fertility as well as its polygyny, and its ability to utalize a broad spectrum of foods and habitats starlings are able to both multiply and invade rapidly.

Craig and Feare ; Kahane European starling chicks are helpless at birth. At first the parents feed them only soft, animal foods, but as they grow older the parents bring a wider variety of plant and animal foods.

Both parents feed the young and remove their fecal sacs from the nest. Young leave the nest after 21 to 23 days but are fed by the parents for a few days after this.

Males give little or no parental care to the last of clutches if they have had more than one clutch in the season. Once the young are living independently, they form flocks with other young birds. One wild European starling lived for 15 years and 3 months. Captive birds may be expected to have maximum lifespans of slightly longer than this.

The European Starling is a "secondary cavity nester," a bird that requires natural or man made cavities in which to put its nest. Because of their increasing numbers and aggressive behavior, they are outcompeting native birds in North America which have historically utilized cavities as nest sites.

This has resulted in population declines for various wren, swallow, and bluebird populations. Starlings are very gregarious birds, flocking at all times with other starlings. These birds breed in bunches, feed in flocks, and migrate in masses. Males use a "wing-waving" technique where the wings flap halfway to attract their females.

Males also impress their females by singing in their nests and by decorating their nests. When the female is fertile, her male mate closely surveys his competitors. The male follows the female in every activity she takes part in.

Another notable aspect of starling behavior is its relationship with humans. In addition to being very gregarious, starlings are also amenable to human disturbance, coexisting with people in urban areas. European starlings are highly vocal all year long except when they are molting, when they are silent. The songs of males are highly variable and have many components. They warble, click, whistle, creak, chirrup, and gurgle.

European starlings are also accomplished mimics, often copying songs or sounds of other birds and animals frog calls, goats, cats , or even of mechanical sounds. European starlings can be trained to mimic human sounds in captivity. Other calls include a "querrr? The omnivorous European Starling can adapt to numerous kinds of food. It uses a "prying" and "open-bill probing" technique to allow them access foods that are protected by tough skins or shells.

The birds insert their bill into the food, pry it open by widening their beaks, and expose the nourishment that is found inside. Foods eaten include seeds, insects, vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and fruits which will be later discussed under "Negative Economic Importance". They are found across the entire United States and compete with native species as well as destroy crops.

European starlings are well adapted to living in a variety of environments. Starlings are ground foragers that feed on a variety of insects in the soil as well as various seeds and fruits available. They tend to prefer open grasslands or habitats with low tree and shrub cover.

During the breeding season, starlings will nest in cavities, such as holes in trees or other protected spaces. Starlings are very well adapted to disturbance and can be found in rural and urban environments. European starlings were intentionally introduced into the United States in Central Park, New York because those admiring the works of Shakespeare wanted to see all the birds mentioned in his creations represented in North America. Starlings are prolific breeders producing on average one to two clutches per year with four to six eggs per clutch for each nesting pair.

Eggs are incubated for approximately 12 days before hatching and then it takes about 3 weeks for nestlings to fledge Linz et al. Starlings can live for approximately years or more. Starlings eat cattle rations and destroy fruit and grain crops. Some starlings may also carry various diseases which may be transmissible to humans, other birds including poultry , and livestock Linz et al.

Due to the flocking nature of starlings and being well adapted in urban settings, roosts near airports have become a large problem. If a plane flies through a large flock of starlings, the birds can get caught in the jet engines causing damage to the aircraft as well as pose a hazard to humans. Additionally, in urban and rural settings, bird may seek shelter in barns and industrial buildings and create a lot of noise and filth which pose health hazards.

European starlings synchronize their first clutch of the year, which means that all of the starlings in an area lay eggs at the same time. They lay from 4 to 7 eggs in their nest over a week and begin incubating them full time when the second to last egg is laid.

European starling eggs are glossy bluish or greenish-white. Both parents incubate their eggs, which means the parents sit on the eggs to keep them warm until they hatch. Females have more highly developed incubation patches bare patches of skin on their breast and spend more time incubating than the males. Young European starlings hatch after 12 to 15 days of incubation. European starling chicks are helpless at birth. At first the parents feed them only soft, animal foods, but as they grow older the parents bring a wider variety of plant and animal foods.

Both parents feed the young and remove their fecal sacs from the nest. Young leave the nest after 21 to 23 days but are fed by the parents for a few days after this. Males give little or no parental care to the last of clutches if they have had more than one clutch in the season. Once the young are living independently, they form flocks with other young birds. One wild European starling lived for 15 years and 3 months. Captive birds may be expected to have maximum lifespans of slightly longer than this.

European starlings are "secondary cavity nesters. Because they are aggressive and their population keeps growing, they are outcompeting native birds in North America that also use cavities as nest sites. This has resulted in population declines for some wren, swallow, and bluebird populations. European starlings construct their nests of grasses, twigs, and moss. They line them with fresh leaves.

These leaves are periodically replaced by the birds and may serve an antibiotic or antifungal purpose. European starlings are social birds, flocking at all times with other starlings. These birds breed in bunches, feed in flocks, and migrate in masses. In addition to being very social, starlings are tolerant of human disturbance. They will live around people in urban areas. European starlings are highly vocal all year long except when they are molting, when they are silent.

The songs of males are highly variable and have many components. They warble, click, whistle, creak, chirrup, and gurgle. European starlings are also accomplished mimics, often copying songs or sounds of other birds and animals frog calls, goats, cats , or even of mechanical sounds. European starlings can be trained to mimic human sounds in captivity. Other calls include a "querrr? European starlings eat a wide variety of foods.

They take both plant and animal foods at all times of the year. Young birds eat mostly animal foods such as soft invertebrates. The adults eat primarily plant foods. They forage for food by searching on the ground in open areas with short or sparse vegetation.

Starlings sometimes follow farm equipment as it turns up the soil. They also feed in intertidal zones, sewage treatment beds, garbage, farmyards, and feeding areas for domestic stock. They will feed in trees where there are ripening fruit or large numbers of caterpillars. Foods eaten include seeds, insects, small vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and fruits. The most common animals eaten by the starling are centipedes , spiders , moths , and earthworms. The most popular plants are berries, seeds, apples, pears, plums, and cherries.

European starlings take most of their food from on or just below the ground surface. The shape of their skull and muscles allow them to insert their bills into the ground or a tough food item and pry an opening by opening their bill. They have binocular vision while doing this, enabling them to see what they are doing and distinguish freshly unearthed food items.

European starlings need to drink free-standing water, although they get some moisture from the foods they eat. European starlings typically congregate in large groups called flocks, except during the breeding season. Flocking together helps protect them from predators by increasing the number of birds that can watch for predators.