Starlings are among the continent’s most numerous songbirds — however, that was not always the case. In fact, at one time there were no starlings on the continent of North America.

They were introduced once Europeans were well settled here and some of them missed the birds from back home. This introduction happened sometime between the mid 1800s and early 1900s. Various accounts differ. There is even one story that they were introduced by a New Yorker that was enchanted by their inclusion in Shakespeare’s tales, but this account was proved to be largely false.

Regardless, the introduction was eventually quite successful, and the European starling flourished here in North America, so much so that some of the farmers have taken a stern disliking to them. They can gather around farms and barns in such large numbers that they eat into the........

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