Re: in defense of starlings was: fat birdies

Aw now, I have to come to the defense of starlings.  They may make
huge flocks, but they're not all bad.  When you see them patrolling a
section of grass, they're after those big white grubs that turn into
Japanese beetles and other plant munchers.  Their heads cocked to the
side mean they're listening for the grubs; they can hear them moving
underground and those big long beaks are perfect for grubbing them
out.  So think of them as Japanese beetle killers and you'll think of
them a whole lot more kindly:-)

Used to have a family of them that lived in our porch roof. They are
really quite handsome birds; iridescent plumage in the adults.  They
are also great mimics...their song is a compilation of about every
other bird in the area and their young are so goofy looking...I used
to call them all Cuthberts because of it.  Once several of them fell
out of the nest before they could fly and their solution was to
stretch themselves up tight into the nearest corner with their eyes
closed, rather like an the ostrich with its head in the sand...if
they could just mash themselves into the wood, nobody would see
them...we eventually screened in the porch and the family had to
move...I still miss them greeting the day with "their" song and
that's been years ago.

It's not their fault that they are born to flock; that's their
nature...it's just us humans who object to it.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: Aplfgcnys@aol.com
> 
> In a message dated 01/22/2003 7:52:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
> richa@midlands.net writes:
> 
> > some black with gold speckled really ugly bird e
> 
> Starlings.  They're awful, aren't they?  And come in huge flocks.
> Some years ago I encountered a family from the Bronx who had a
really 
> unattractive child (I know, all children are really beautiful, but
this 
> little girl was fat and awkward), and her name was Starling.  I was
sure the 
> people, who were perfectly nice, but having grown up and lived in
the Bronx, 
> didn't know anything about nature, just thought they were naming
their child 
> for a bird that they thought sounded pretty.  I hope this child
grew up to be 
> a lovely woman, and calls herself "Star."  Auralie

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