Starling "Sturnus vulgaris"

• Starlings, as members of the Sturnidae family, are cousins to the Mynah bird and are outstanding mimics. Individuals have been known to mimic the calls of up to 20 different bird species.

 

• Starlings have an impressive array of songs and may have a repertoire of over 60 different types.

 

• Starlings were at one time considered a game bird in Europe, and were hunted for food.

 

• Starlings often return to the same nest cavity to raise their young each year.

 

• Bird banding records show the longest known life-span for a Starling in North America to be over 15 years old.

 

• European Starlings have a highly adaptable diet and eat a wide variety of foods, such as snails, worms, millipedes, and spiders, in addition to fruits, berries, grains, and seeds.

 

• Starlings can play an important role in reducing the numbers of some of the major insect pests that damage farm crops.

 

Starlings are protected here in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it illegal to intentionally kill, injure or take a starling, or to take, damage or destroy an active nest or its contents.

 

Due to their decline in numbers they are now on our Red list species

 

Thank you for your comments, take care, stay safe and have a wonderful Sunday !!

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