Starlings are supposed to be common birds, but I never knew what they looked like up close, so I initially had a lot of trouble identifying the odd-looking bird in these photos that I took in early December.
I’m pretty sure now that it is a European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), a bird that was first introduced into North America in the 19th century by Shakespeare enthusiasts, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. What does Shakespeare have to do with it?
Well, Shakespeare mentions them in one of his plays. Steve Mirsky explained the reference in an article in Scientific American entitled “Shakespeare to Blame for Introduction of European Starlings to U.S.”
“In the late 1590s Shakespeare noted the mimicking ability of the starling while writing Henry IV, Part 1. Hotspur is contemplating driving King Henry nuts by having a starling repeat the name of Hotspur’s brother-in-law Mortimer, whom Henry refuses to ransom out of prisoner status. “Nay, I’ll have a starling shall be taught to speak nothing but ‘Mortimer,’ ” Hotspur whines.”
In 1871, a group called the American Acclimatization Society was formed in New York, dedicated to introducing European plants and animals and birds into North America, according to Wikipedia. The group’s chairman was an avid admirer of Shakespeare and is said by some to have desired to introduce every bird mentioned by the playwright. The Cornell Lab notes that the more than 200 million starlings now in North American are descendants of the original 100 starlings released in New York’s Central Park in the early 189o’s. Yikes!
I am always curious about the origin of bird names and learned from the Cornell Lab that the starlings got their name because their wings are short and pointed, making them look rather like small, four-pointed stars when they are flying.
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Mike Powell 
That’s interesting about how they got their name, but I’m thankful for stricter laws on what can and can’t be imported these days. We haven’t learned our lesson though and still bring in alien plants by the boat load.
That’s indeed a European Starling and interesting how colorful they are in the right light.
All starlings are colourful!!! Photographed quite a few in the past!
Amazing colors! Love both shots.
It’s an amazing sight to watch a large flock of starlings shift its shape like an undulating creature. Oh, but what a wicked mess they leave behind!
I like very much Starlings. They migrate to Africa in October-November and they come back here (Romania) in March. 🙂
Starlings really are worth a closer look. The iridescence of their feathers, under the right lighting conditions, is really remarkable.
Yes, I always assumed that starlings were black birds until I got a close look at one in a particular light and discovered that they are really beautiful.
I have read that starlings (and English sparrows) are excluded from the protection of the law that forbids capturing wild songbirds and keeping them as pets. As an alien species and something of a pest, the starling is not considered worth protecting. But it is a pretty bird.
I too thought they were black, but found out through these photos that there is a lot of color. I know that these are considered to be invasive and compete with native birds for space and food, but, like you, I find them to be pretty.
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The details in your photos are so amazing and so informative…I always love your posts. Have a wonderful holiday season.
Thanks, Charlie for your words of encouragement. Best wishes for a blessed new year.