Let's Talk About America's Starling Problem

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In today's video, I explore the story of European Starlings in America.
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[@LostinthePond]

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[@Boomken76]

love your name for the birds.🤣🤣

[@dark14life]

My mom used to pay me 50 cents per starling back in the 90's. They devastated her garden year after year until I got a BB gun and then she told me to get rid of as many as I could. Between myself and the stray farm cats around the area, we put such a dent in the local starling population that it still hasn't recovered fully. And my mom enjoys her songbirds.

[@InventorZahran]

I hope the cats don't attack songbirds!

[@jonstapleton2340]

I think my friend used to get a dollar from his dad in the late 90s. He gave us a 20 gauge. his rules were Starlings only.

[@Steve-ev6vx]

​@@jonstapleton2340we were allowed to take starlings and sparrows, along with doves, squirrels, rabbits and quail (only during their respective seasons though.) We weren't offered any money though, just allowed to hunt with air guns.

[@dananorth895]

You have to be up early, as the entire flock will show up just before dawn/first light. I even wired up mouse traps to ears of 24 corn plants which didn't trip from the wind for about 2 wks. During that time not a single starling, afterwords they showed right back up. Maybe net traps? Clamshell style. It's legally always open season on starlings being invasive.

[@bhambhole]

You were a bird hitman 😂 💰

[@petuniasevan]

Unlike the unfortunate passengers on that aircraft, my husband and I owe our lives to a starling. Long years ago I found a nest in a cinderblock wall, with one baby starling on the ground. I took it home and raised it in our travel trailer (we were poor military folks). A year later we moved when we got out, and placed the travel trailer on a rented piece of land. So far so good. The starling was good at imitating our dog barking, and our irritated shouts at the dog to shut up. The starling even got along with our cat (bird was caged when not supervised, of course). One morning when husband and I were out of sorts and had felt ill for a couple of days, he went outside for a smoke and I dizzily got up and was about to wander outside when I looked in the cage to not see the bird. I went to see and to my horror, the starling was on the bottom of the cage, barely moving. I grabbed it up and ran to show husband. He saw it take a couple of struggling breaths and then die. We looked at each other and I said, "Canary in a coal mine!" He ran to the propane tanks and shut them off. Yes, one of the exhaust lines from the heater was leaking Carbon Monoxide into the trailer. If it weren't for that starling.... To this day I tolerate starlings even though they're an invasive species.

[@hoosierpioneer]

Sorry for the loss of your friend.

[@bevwest7428]

Fantastic story!!❤❤

[@cathleenc6943]

I'm glad y'all made the connection. Many people might not.

[@AtarahDerek]

Not a strong argument for keeping them alive when one saved you by dying.

[@ff05t81t]

What happened to the doggo?

[@mkwilson1394]

Hey, I gotta stick up for Steve. He's the one local grackle that hangs out with my cardinals and mourning doves. Steve is chill. He doesn't act like his distant relatives when they come to visit twice a year. He even gets along with the local bunny population! So they aren't all a-holes. Now blue jays...

[@nortyfiner]

I've never had a problem with grackles. They usually only show up one or two at a time, they don't hog the feeders and they generally get along with the other birds.

[@tonyjackson5115]

Grackles have the good looks to make up for their faults, unlike starlings. Blue jays can f*** right off along with cat birds. 2 of the most irritating birds to listen to.

[@joermnyc]

After I moved out to get married, a Blue Jay adopted my parents and hung out under their front porch awing for about a year (I think he nested in the tree nearby). He seemed to enjoy being out of the rain, the sun, high winds, and pretty much whatever else you’d encounter living in a tree. He wasn’t annoying, at least not intentionally. My dad did have to put up a “drip pan” of sorts so the front steps weren’t covered in droppings.

[@LindaC616]

I don't know, I came back with some cool bird photos from Mexico, and one of the least cool photos was a grackle. A friend of mine saw the picture and said "those are the birds that stalked my husband and I when we were there!"😅

[@noone1929]

I love grackles, at work my sister and I keep an eye out for Craig. He is a grackle that dives into the trash cans, but only for french fries. Once I even saw one walk inside the cafe and grab a fry off the ground and flee.

[@AskForDoodles]

I had no idea starlings were so notorious in the US. Where I live in Europe they're well-loved and people actively build bird-houses to entice them to populate our gardens and praise them for their songs and mimicry. Had no idea they were basically considered prettier seagulls 😅

[@HannahRainbow88]

Likewise; I was fascinated by the ones that nested in our chimney pots as a kid! Their mimicry skills and murmuration patterns are brilliant 🤩 although it was less fun each time one fell down the chimney into our bedrooms 😅 ... But over the years their numbers have dwindled, to the point that I've only seen a couple of them recently (30years later). I had no idea about the stabbing other birds thing, as we've always had sparrows, blackbirds, jackdaws, finches, bluetits, wagtails - and then some - as well as them in our garden. (Near London)

[@PretentiousFF]

I have a 1936 Peterson’s guide. Their range at that time was limited to east of the Rockies.

[@dananorth895]

They destroy most native bird populations when they arrive. Songbirds in particular, but we very rarely see Robins anymore and they were commonplace growing up it the 60's and 70's. Bluejays are still prety common. Portland, OR. area.

[@terrancecoard388]

Earlier in the week I thought I saw a Starling chasing away another bird...turns out it was a mother annoyed at its juvenile. To my surprise, she later fed it worms. It did not have the beautiful colors and looked brown. They do entertain me during the summer even though they have annoying habits such as keeping the motion lights strobing on windy nights by flying into the yard to eat worms. When the lights go off they fly back which makes the light activate. This can go on for hours!

[@moremiaj4786]

I think they are doing it on purpose. They are quite intelligent.

[@B2WM]

Their plumage gets glossier and more iridescent during breeding season, so it would make sense that the juvenile was still brown.

[@jeffe4297]

I hereby petition that the name of the European Starling be officially changed to the Common European Starling of the United States of North America.

[@ceeveekaye]

I second.

[@lindaseel9986]

Here here!

[@curronwilliams]

Aw yes, the Cesusna

[@artpsych71]

No way. European Starlings were artificially introduced and now terribly invasive. They are extremely annoying and bullies, taking over native songbirds' territory and food. I wish ALL of them would go back to Europe!

[@artpsych71]

... Lawrence is NOT like a starling! Instead a delight!

[@davidlandry3487]

Starlings are curious creatures. We have a whole flock of them here that like to perch on top of buildings and people-watch. They seem to be show-offs, because they'll produce a whole myriad of sounds and calls. They are indeed curious creatures.

[@petuniasevan]

If you get one as a nestling, you can teach them to talk. They're related to Mynah birds but a heck of a lot cheaper!

[@sheilatruax6172]

I hate starlings. I know ours was started by some European ones that were imported here a couple hundred years ago.

[@harrystephens1658]

They are nasty shit birds

[@LillibitOfHere]

They also have especially acidic crap that damages buildings and is home to all kinds of terrible stuff you don’t want in your lungs.

[@donnabert]

@@sheilatruax6172 You're a turd

[@TheMcIke]

Anyone with a bird feeder curses Schieffelin’s name every time a flock of The Common European Starlings of the United States of North America cleans out a freshly hung feeder.

[@donnabert]

Not me, I love the fuckers. Song birds can go to your yard, they are soooo boring

[@Scrambler85]

​@donnabert great targets 😉

[@isaaco5679]

​@@Scrambler85I completely agree. Real easy to identify by those half-assed tails and hideous beaks.

[@jonathanrogers9961]

Nothing a decent air rifle cant fix.....

[@Beth_Alice_Kaplan]

Well at least now I know *who* to curse. 😏

[@AtomizerX]

It's funny that this video came out, because very recently I've been watching a bunch of falconry videos where guys are specifically trying to control the starling population with kestrels!

[@alanomofo]

Waiting for lil dolph to get his reps in .... wish I could remember the Chanel, I think its called Jonesfalconry but I could be wrong

[@AtomizerX]

@@alanomofo That's right! @jonesfalconry

[@grumbotron4597]

I also immediately thought of Jones Falconry when I saw the title.

[@billyyank5807]

I've seen a guy doing drive by birdings with his kestrel 😂 It's pretty cool!

[@carolynhotchkiss4760]

I remember my dad telling me once about an 'infestation' (his word) of starlings at his parents' home in rural Illinois in the early 50s. He'd just returned from Korea and was having none of it. He decided perhaps a loud noise would startle the starlings and encourage them to relocate from the five oak trees out front, so he took a shotgun, loaded it with scatter shot, and fired it up into the trees. He killed 25, and the murmuration relocated as he wanted. Things you can't get away with now lol.

[@clueless_cutie]

I live in a semi-rural area. Most bird watching types around here use starlings as target practice for high powered bb guns. There's a special kind of sadness when someone says they're giving up on their bird feeders because the starlings have run everything else off. I watched a starling peck at a squirrel trying to get into my feeder once. They're absolute psychos

[@poochiew.9302]

My aunt and uncle in Minnesota used to pick off Starlings with a BB gun years ago.

[@Cillana]

You can get away with it if they're starlings. They aren't protected by law in the US.

[@solandri69]

@@Cillana Most states actually encourage you to kill them if you have the opportunity. As Lawrence mentioned, they kill native birds.

[@haplessasshole9615]

No, in rural areas you can still shoot at invasive species like starlings and house sparrows. In fact, conservationists would line up for miles for an opportunity to have a whack at bringing 'em down. Heck, they would supply their own eco-friendly shells. My grandfather told me starlings were good eating -- tender and juicy -- and the burgeoning population of starlings dropped significantly during the Depression and WWII, only to recover rapidly when the population shifted to suburban and urban areas.

[@y2ksurvivor]

Here in central Illinois the starlings will show up in droves in the spring. The WOOSHING sound when they decide to leave all at once is such a surreal thing to experience & take in.

[@donnabert]

It's why a group of starlings is call a murmur.

[@DonP_is_lostagain]

Well, as bad as starlings are, at least they're not swallows. They've been known to carry coconuts when they migrate. A decade or so ago, I was in San Antonio having lunch at a Taco Cabana. one of my work mates forgot his flatware, and set down his burrito to get some, a grackle flew in out of nowhere, and snatched up his burrito off the table and made off with it. Here in Texas, they're generally a menace all around.

[@DonP_is_lostagain]

@@perseypoppins which? The swallows or the grackle? The swallows was an MP toss away. :) The grackle story is true.

[@staceyn2541]

African or European swallow?

[@joedellinger9437]

I swear at Stanford in the 1980’s the blackbirds learned to poop on your head if you ate outside. Then if you left your food unguarded to go wash the poop off, you’d find a flock of blackbirds shredding your food when you got back.

[@TheShavenChimp]

Equally invasive in North America is the House Sparrow. They are native to Eurasia, northern Africa, and most of Europe, but were intentionally released in Brooklyn, New York in 1851 as a way to control linden moth populations. The Cincinnati Acclimatization Society also introduced house sparrows between 1872 and 1874. Today, house sparrows are considered an invasive species and are widespread and abundant throughout North America. They will kill nesting birds and their chicks then build their own nest atop the dead. Both the Starling and House Sparrow have contributed to the decline in native Eastern Bluebird populations

[@djs98blue]

We have American gray/grey squirrels here in the UK that have almost completely wiped out our native red squirrels after being introduced a century or so ago so it cuts both ways…..

[@donnabert]

Also invasive is the horse, dog, cat and honey bee. Swallow that.

[@slipstreamxr3763]

@@donnabert Horses are originally native to North America and the reintroduced horses aren't as destructive as other invasive animals.

[@donnabert]

@@slipstreamxr3763 That is horseshit and you know it.

[@InqvisitorMagnvs]

​@@djs98blue The native red squirrels in the UK were already nearly wiped out by the 19th century, having been hated as pests and over-hunted for centuries, whereas the grey squirrel was imported into Victorian England as a novelty. Early press reports noted then that grey squirrels were more sociable than reds, and not until decades later (after reds disappeared and greys became numerous) did British public opinion invert to start loving reds and hating greys. Virtually all red squirrels now resident in the UK (mostly in Scotland) are descended from red squirrel populations artificially reintroduced from Scandinavia no earlier than the 20th century (after greys were already established in Britain). The grey squirrel is social whereas the red squirrel is territorial, which makes the grey naturally better adapted to live more densely populated areas-like most of modern England. The Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is still abundant and even hunted for its furs in the sparsely populated habitats for which it is adapted, e.g. in forests all across the vast Eurasian landmass. The campaigns to “save the red squirrel” in Britain are not conservationism but rather foolhardy selfish attempts to force red squirrels to live short unpleasant lives in inhospitable habitats-packed on a densely inhabited island just for the amusement of humans.

[@bugtracker152]

It’s worth mentioning that starlings often destroy vent covers and build their nests in the vents causing damage to a property. Nest removal replacing vent pipe and replacing all the vents with metal ones has cost me $700 😢

[@donnabert]

a shit ton of birds and mammals do that. it's not a "starling" thing, lamebrain

[@AtarahDerek]

European house sparrows do that too. We've got one nesting in our overhead stove vent.

[@_.-._.-._.-._.-.]

Ugh...I had that same problem too

[@petuniasevan]

My mother had a native bird drive her crazy doing this: it was a Red-shafted Flicker. She learned to hate that species of woodpecker!

[@R.M.MacFru]

I've had grackles do that.

[@melodyparra2960]

I called them speckled gobblers, cause they will gobble up everything that you put out, especially if it’s worms

[@suehaag2783]

Ah yes, damn starlings. Had them nesting in the peak of the roof in my previous house where the parents would dispose of their baby waste in my pool. In my new to me house they tried to nest in the bathroom vent exhaust. Needed to buy a cover and get up on a ladder to properly evict them. 🙄

[@greynoise1409]

Eugene Schieffelin. Another of histories lesser known monsters.

[@tricorvus2673]

In my childhood, my next door neighbor had a relative who would visit, bringing his shotgun. He would piss off every dog in the neighborhood, shooting starlings. Boy he really hated them. We were once almost rural, then progress changed us to absolute suburbia. That’s when the city asked him to stop that.

[@sugarplum5824]

When I was a kid, my family would visit extended family in WV, who owned a beautiful 500 acre farm. I "adopted" the elderly couple who owned all this paradise, calling them Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma has large fruit trees growing near the farmhouse, full of fresh, sweet, delicious plums which she used to make mouth watering jam and preserves. The starlings loved the plums. My dad was an expert marksman on the US Army Rifle Team. His home is filled with first place medals he won. My dad didn't miss. Grandma always welcomed Dad like a long lost son because he would sit in a rocking chair on the porch and pick off starlings one by one on that big, lovely plum tree as she scooted around the kitchen, happy as a clam, knowing her precious plums would now be safe from the marauding starlings. We would return home with a quart jar of freshly canned damson preserves. 😋

[@spazzyshortgirl23]

Thanks dad!

[@azimuth4850]

The way they feed is funny too. They spend about as much time watching to see if another one of them got something, then they all run and push him out of the way to try and steal whatever he found.

[@SA12String]

I really enjoy your segues into the ads. Brilliantly done.

[@earthtoryley]

I was recently at a family function and my grandma was talking about your channel. I was surprised as I don’t think our KZbin subscriptions overlap much but we both love your channel without ever talking about it previously. So hi Granmomie if you see this! Love you! ❤😂

[@genreofstubby]

i have one as a pet! i love this little bird so much. he talks, sings, and is so sweet.

[@genreofstubby]

@@perseypoppins lol they make great pets if you raise them from babies. i love my little bernie. hes so cute and sweet

[@stellangios]

Can you please take the rest of them inside so they stop bothering everyone? Thanks ❤

[@genreofstubby]

@@stellangios lol no. i am just fond of this particular one.

[@kg6801]

I've got one too, his name's Lenny. He's not a talker, though, I've raised others many years ago who talked but he's more of a grumbler but does imitate other noises (lots of kissing, tisking, that horse clicking noise, a bit of whistling, etc). But if I do a stretch and say "stretchy" he'll do the typical bird stretch routine, and if I imitate the bird "butt in the air with head down and legs straightened out" stretch (you'll know the one I mean), he'll do that, which is pretty cute. They're such characters, aren't they?

[@travisbg44]

I hope your kidding

[@testsubject6676]

The “attractive people in mugshots” bit made me cackle. Well done there.

[@phyllislowry6265]

These Ahole birds come to Florida in the winter. Where I once worked, they would roost in the trees on our parking lot. It was like being personally in the movie The Birds. I was always waiting for them to peck my eyes out, as they would chirp in the trees & then all take flight at once! Frightening!

[@LindaC616]

A friend of mine said that happened to her and her husband in Mexico

[@chey7691]

They are aggressive and are known to swoop, but are cowards. So large movements, loud souds and throwing things is enough to deter them from coming at you.

[@staceyn2541]

I almost didn't watch this episode. I have a major bird phobia because of this creature. In my teens, we lived in a super creepy old house, and these things got into the attic, and then my bedroom. Have you been awoken at 3 am by a screaming, panicked, flapping bird flying into the bedposts and the window of your room? No?? Then I envy you! This happened multiple times over those years. My dad preferred to let our cat deal with it. So I would huddle, shaking, on our couch, under a covering blanket, waiting for the noise to stop, and for our cat to trot down the stairs. The twitching creature hanging from his mouth, beak and wings flopped backwards and bouncing with his steps. I shudder and twitch just thinking about it. This happened in the 80s. My brothers' worst threat was that he would leave a dead bird in my bed. I still duck when anything flies near me. The sounds of wings flapping makes me panic. Dead birds affect me just as deeply. I live in constant fear of finding a bird in my house. I avoid stores that attract birds, like Lowe's. I don't remember even noticing birds before they started showing up in our house. I would also look up at night to find bats flying in my room. Those are awful because they can be silent all day, just lurking, and spring out of nowhere after dark. Plus, the rabies. We kept dad's fishing net upstairs to deal with these issues. Okay, I can't continue. Good video, but absolute nightmare fuel!

[@klaatubob]

They're incredible mimicks and make awesome noises.

[@kyrataylor2035]

Starlings were a major health hazard here back in the late 1960s and early '70s. There were so many birds roosting in nearby woods and copses and in trees all over the town, turning the ground white with their guano. Hystoplasmosis was a real danger to human health because of it, so it was pretty common for firetrucks to go to various neighborhoods and run their sirens for a couple hours to get rid of the birds. They did eventually leave but it took a few years.

[@cs_fl5048]

In KY we had a major starling issue. But here in FL I have bluebirds every day... Our closest thing to a starling is a redwing blackbird. I remember when the starling were so numerous over the railroad yards in my home town in KY, there were massive piles of guano and noise, and ruining the trees and covering the railroad cars with guano. The fire department came out and sprayed all the grove of trees where thousand of them were inhabiting.. They sprayed them with soapy water, which cooled them down, whereupon they fell to the ground and mostly died...The clean up was a massive mess too.

[@JohnLaRue-zp2uj]

Love your post's Laurence. How you do that, without breaking up laughing, is beyond me. Oh, and the American accent part you did describing starlings? Hilarious!

[@LetsTalk_ManUtd]

Found you by accident but I love the content you provide. As a teacher you will know kids can’t be arsed learning but through comedy (like you do) in to subjects it more palatable and engaging to a point you don’t realise your learning because it’s fun (a bit like the show QI)

[@aislingekelloggdegomez4597]

I worked at a private golf club which is also a property protected by the Audubon Society, and while there weren’t very many starlings on the open property, we had them under the Carriage House, which was built in 1895. I had to walk under there to approach my vehicle. They built their nest under the ceiling of the open car drive. They’d attack me at first, but I started walking on the other side, slowly, in view. They never went after me again. All of nature has negatives, but they have their good points. I loved them a lot. They were always sweet. And built really cool nests.

[@donnabert]

I have a license plate (WA state) STARLNG

[@windycityliz7711]

There are other smaller song birds that build really cool nests that have been pushed out and depopulated by the invasive Starlings; that's the point.

[@donnabert]

@@windycityliz7711 that's a myth

[@windycityliz7711]

@@donnabert Maybe where you live. I have seen, many times, the results of mega-flocks taking over an area of woods. Oh, and then there are bird counts.

[@romaschild3]

Years ago we'd hear loud booms coming from Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. I don't know what they used to create the noise, but I did learn they were trying to scare away Starlings.

[@tommunyon2874]

The mountains in New Mexico where I grew up did not have starlings. I first heard of them on a "Dennis the Menace" episode. Mr. Wilson was standing in his front yard banging on a metal tub to try and scare away a flock of starlings.

[@angelaherring5443]

No matter what videos you put out, you never fail to make me smile. Thank you.

[@tinkerstrade3553]

I know all about their faults, but to be caught up inside a mummeration is truly awesome. To stand with arms out while thousands of feathers, and even fragile bodies, brush all over is a one of a kind experience that I have no words for. We all have our faults, and I'll speak no ill of these tiny warriors.

[@autumnphillips151]

I think they have by far the best vocal abilities of any birds of their size. I’ve been amazed hearing them speak and mimic other sounds.

[@T.Florenz]

I've always loved them, I think they are beautiful. I had no idea they weren't native, since I'm not a big bird guy.

[@KatyWatson173]

My mom and I always called starlings crazy birds. We didn’t really encounter them until we moved to Chester County Pennsylvania in the mid 1970s. They weren’t in Fairfield County Connecticut at least not in the HUGE numbers that they were in Pennsylvania. I haven’t seen that many in Southeast Michigan either. 🙂🐈🐈‍⬛💖🌈

[@av3nger3]

I was about to suggest you to do this! They are migrated. I've seen loads of them this year in the Midwest now that I'm a mailman

[@theeasternfront6436]

Its funny this came up. I have been shooting starlings off my barn all weekend.

[@donnaj9964]

Oooh, Lawrence, at 1:15 that wasn't a chickadee; it was a nuthatch. And you don't want them out-competed by starlings either!

[@appaloosa42]

In the Pittsburgh area the only wildlife the Steel Valley had was English Sparrows, Pigeons ( all gray) starlings and the occasional ‘possum. Wildlife didn’t fare well in the eastern ‘burbs until the steel mills died.

[@Mick_Ts_Chick]

We have the a-hole birds at the farm where I work. They try to nest under the LP tank covers, and we have to get the nests out. They're usually covered in mites too. In the fall when they flock up it's like being in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. 🙁

[@HawklordLI]

I live in KCMO area and Starlings have been common around here as long as I can remember. However ,when I saw about 6 of them in my yard a few weeks ago it was the first time in years that I've seen any. It seems like the population of all species of birds in this area has drastically decreased.

[@elram2649]

I noticed that since starlings arrived in my area, woodpeckers, jays, and other birds are now hardly seen, specifically the woodpeckers; those are just gone... haven't seen them for about five years. 😢

[@timmullen8951]

I had read that the goal was to introduce to America "All the birds found in the Bible." While looking through the hunting seasons in my State it said that invasive Starlings & Sparrows are always "In Season".

[@chey7691]

They are directly killing off native species, and that will eventually have dire consequences. There is little else we can do but slow the growth of their population and bolster the native ones long enough for either a solution or the collapse of an ecosystem.

[@Macky4941]

I enjoy watching them fly in their huge numbers, they make some wild shapes. What i don't like is when there are about a 100 or so in my neighbor's tree at 5:00AM singing as loud as they can....like waking up to static...

[@bullettube9863]

The one good thing about Starlings is that they love grubs! In fact they line up in a row and march across my yard pecking away eating one grub after another. Unfortunately they also love eating grain and in the winter they congregate down south around cattle pens eating more grain then the cattle.

[@corinnelebret230]

My son saw 2 starlings chasing a juvenile hawk away! They are very intrepid birds! I am in Toronto, Ontario

[@Snargfargle]

Starlings migrate through my area of the southwestern Great Plains in the summers but the real invader of recent times is the Eurasian collared dove. Every small town now has thousands of those noisy pests. There is a year-long hunting season on them with no bag limits but few are shot because they mostly stay in town and around farms. I recently counted thirty-two of them in my back yard alone. European house sparrows and pigeons are another two introduced bird pests that occur here. One bird introduction, however, has proved beneficial, and that is the ring-necked pheasant. On the fish side, brown trout are another beneficial introduction, Common carp and the several species of Asian carp, not so much.

[@dreesexton4269]

I hope you're happy Lawrence. My husband just told me he is going to get gas for the lawn mower. I said, "Do that NOW" 🤣

[@LindaC616]

😅

[@TemuMuuMuu]

You forgot a few important points: they are extremely intelligent, therefore resilient and extremely adaptable. Also they can talk & mimic anything. Lastly, they make awesome pets! I found a nestling about two days old on the ground; no nest in sight. My ususal wildlife rehabber had severe COVID. I sent him a picture, per his request, and he guided me through raising the little bird. Fast forward two+ years later, and Munson is the light of my life. A single starling isn't releasable, i dont even think he knows he's a bird.

[@CricketsBay]

Starlings can make over 50 distinct sounds, imitate other birds, and different flocks of Starlings have different dialects they use to communicate with members of their own flock.

[@JRandallEllis]

If you can ever find a starling alone, they are incredible mimics and can reproduce all kinds of sounds. But hearing an entire flock of them together sounds like the collective voices in my head.

[@youdontknowme5969]

Starlings are beautiful, inquisitive little smart-asses 🤣

[@harrystephens1658]

They are the ass hole of the bird world.

[@pillarwatch]

@keithsargent6963 Not too bright after all, just annoying.

[@GryphonBrokewing]

Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

[@countcoupblessings979]

🔥Starlings Dangerous Hording Obsession 🔥Every year Starlings "build" ( frantically fill a space with a cartoonishly large stockpile of dry grass / hay) a huge number of nests inside almost every nook & cranny of the vehicles in our parking lot. Even atop the tires , engine areas etc. One woman's car caught fire 🔥Then they will target gas grills, awnings & more. One farmer told me they ruined thousands of dollars worth of equipment . It's like roulette , who's car they pick each year, It's nuts . They are also one of the messiest song birds when it comes to excitement where they live .

[@SockPuppet-q4x]

The ones here, near the West Coast seem to superficially resemble robins. They have orange chests, but are smaller. They have huge flocks, thousands if not millions of birds. They tend to resemble schools of fish when flying through the air, and a flock can take hours to pass overhead. These may be different birds, but we refer to them as "starlings".

[@Starry_Night_Sky7455]

2:31 😂😅😂😅 that expression, omg lol! Yes, perfectly said. Worth replying.

[@m.e.c.1007]

Ooooo Lawrence! Hehe love your take on things here in the States!

[@resurrectiongarage1506]

We used to have a pet starling, my mom named it Mortimer, now I know where the name came from. We found out that starlings can mimic sounds, it could mimic the phone ringing perfectly and even say my sister’s name. They are a beautiful bird even if they are a butt hole

[@twostep1953]

In 1972 I showed up at Texas A&M in Bryan / College Station; the campus was over-run with these bastards. I lived near the Gulf coast and had never heard of them. Now, they are in Galveston on the coast. We have lost all of our robins, mockingbirds, and every other species.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Great video, Lawrence...😊

[@angeladesantis7911]

I truly enjoy the Starling couple that live above and visit my yard. To watch the babies poke their heads out the hole that was drilled by the local woodpecker was fun. Without Starlings our nature sounds would be dulled. Starlings can vocalise and that's the most amazing things about them plus they are cute when they hit the birdbath.

[@CardinaliamYT]

1:14 First mistake I’ve ever caught in one of these videos, not a bad one, and not poking fun, but that is a White-Breasted Nuthatch, not a Chickadee.

[@cmdrfrosty3985]

Lawrence have you ever considered talking about turkeys as a video topic. Its both a commonly seen somewhat large animal that has quite a bit of cultural significance in america. Just thpught it would be a good idea.

[@barryhall1997]

N.B.: the bird at 1:17 is a white breasted nut hatch. Chickadees, while all cute and puffy, prefer their bottoms downward pointing. They are, also, less snazzy than the nut hatch.

[@javonfair]

Starlings are great mimics! There’s another kind of plus!

[@marye8222]

They’re excellent mimics…birdsongs and people talk

[@cinnamonpear2915]

I agree. We have one that nests nearby and his “song” consists of all kinds of bird imitations, a siren, an engine, and other mechanical sounds. I love watching the parents tend to their young after they have fledged. When the young one gets too pushy, mom or dad puts them in their place!

[@KairuHakubi]

I would teach one to say "quit starling" every time someone's taking too long at something.

[@Bob_Adkins]

Yes, maybe they can talk, but do they say anything useful?

[@cuttwice3905]

Edwin Way Teale was from Joliet, Illinois. He did not sound like he was from unspecified place near the Hudson River south of Hudson, NY.

[@peregrination3643]

In the winter, we'll have cardinals, robins, and others in our front yard cedars...until the starlings come.

[@jonadabtheunsightly]

You know, I can't swear that I've ever seen one of these IRL. I've lived in the Midwest for almost fifty years, and I am familiar with most of the more common types of birds we have around here: chickadees, sparrows, blue jays, cardinals, robins, wrens, rock pigeons / mourning doves (is there even a difference?), titmice, blackbirds, seagulls (especially near the Lakes), ducks, geese, swans, crows, hawks, vultures, owls, ... and some of the less common ones, like nuthatches and orioles and woodpeckers. And I've certainly *heard* of starlings, they show up a lot in books. In the video, they look very distinctive, and it seems like I ought to remember them, but I don't know if I've ever actually seen one IRL. Admittedly, I don't regularly make a point of looking closely at birds. I can't swear I've ever seen a bluebird either.

[@therightquestion2983]

Grackles are the sweetest, funniest birds And can talk and are easily trainable. I had one that would bowl for peas. Adorable. ( they're not federally protected)

[@therightquestion2983]

@@perseypoppins grackles are basically first cousins of crows and ravens.

[@Meladjusted]

Starlings have an amazing ability for mimicry and are very intelligent. They make pretty good pet birds. Since they're invasive, bird rehabilitation centers can't release them back into the wild when people bring them in injured or in abandoned nests and many rehab places will often (laws permitting, I guess) adopt them out to people as pets as they're so common (especially in spring). They bond with owners. So, if you're interested in keeping a bird and have the resources to have one, they're worth looking into and contacting your local bird and waterfowl rehabilitation centers about their starling adoption policy as they otherwise need to be placed in wildlife sanctuaries, where there will always be limited space.

[@powertechnical]

We have the starlings here in South Africa as well

[@jim69-yp5nu]

Retribution for the introduction of grey squirrels to the UK nearly wiping out native reds? I was surprised to see starlings (and sparrows) on my recent trip to Canada and this video explains it.

[@PuffPastry-ke3cm]

US resident here. European Starlings are everywhere where I live, and I live in a very rural area. I've been tempted to do my local ecosystem a favor and hunt some to make a meat pie, but I don't think they'd taste very good.

[@ourfloridagarden4191]

I can confirm they are adorable in our birdbath.

[@megb9700]

I’m a new bird observer. Thank you for explaining something I was wondering about.

[@15halerobert]

I love many things English; Currently Yorkshire Tea holds a favored spot, but Starlings on the other hand; well, I don't recommend poison, but for the Starling I think an exception can be made.

[@katehenry2718]

Starlings are beautiful birds covered with stars. Their courting songs are glorious and melodic.... near symphonic. Their warning songs while protecting their children is fierce and raucus, enough to discourage the most ardent cat.

[@jackd.ripper7613]

They made it to Anchorage a few years ago. The robins have almost disappeared.

[@Coccinelf]

I live up North. We have starlings in summer but I've never seen any swarms.

[@therongrintz]

love the comradeStalin reference

[@tomhalla426]

I had seen the mad Shakespeare fanboy story. This is the first I have seen that it was too cute, and unsupported.

[@bluegreenglue6565]

I was pecked in the eye by a starling (Fred, who was sitting on my shoulder), and I can testify to the sharp pointiness of their beaks. I can't help loving birds, even the invasive and more brutal ones.

[@philipethier9136]

Yesterday I saw a mallard drake and two grey squirrels peacefully sharing the dropouts under a bird feeder. Wonders never cease.

[@clemkadiddlehopper7705]

I have fun doing my impression of you.

[@airfiero4772]

I raised a Starling from very young. Really smart, full of attitude. And they IMITATE...sounds and even your voice. Lot of fun, but a bit temperamental.

[@daveh893]

I remember Starlings from when I was a child, but I don't see them as frequently these days.

[@karrenwebb3341]

My dad hated them. He would grab his shotgun every time they would appear in the yard!🤣

[@Spoons89631]

The starling is a really cool bird to watch when they migrate, the line of starlings that goes for literal days across the sky for as far as you can see but out side of that they are the worst pest. They build nest in gutters downspouts and if they can get in an attic find another way in to a building they build nest in walls. I have spent more time fixing damage done by them than any other pest.

[@ericchill864]

I put out suet for the birds since many of the species in my region love it. But sadly, the starlings would run off the other birds and clean me out. I couldn't afford to do it any longer. Plus, the numbers grew huge once the first few found it.

[@TheDarktater]

Love the shirt! Seems like someone else has gotten the birding bug.

[@boogaturk8363]

Starlings always bully the other birds away from our bird feeder. And they do so until the grackles and ravens come by. Then it's time to go. Although I did see a starling wait too long to leave, and it was caught against the pole of the bird feeder by a hawk that had been watching it from afar with hungry anticipation.

[@JohnDrewVoice]

Here in the U.S., I've never heard them referred to by any name other than starlings. Having lived in England, I can confirm that the same bird is found in each country.

[@jamesbeeching6138]

The Major in Fawlty Towers...."Starling inspector!!"😅😅

[@mdsfo]

African and Asian Starlings are incredibly colorful, bright greens, blues and purples, not rusty black like the ones we got. I wouldnt mind if we'd gotten one of those species. Anyway, at this very moment a pair of these less desirable starlings are feeding their four fledglings at my bird feeders. At least, they are the only such birds here right now.

[@VespasianJudea]

Keep it up, it would be cool if I could go to London and feed you ideas about what it’s like to be in England as an American and weird things I notice. Or your wife could lend a hand in that regard. I enjoy what you’re doing, please keep it up bro ❤❤