European Starlings

Here are a couple European Starlings. It's hard to tell the sex of starlings, so I can't tell you this is a potential breeding pair. This is their breeding plumage though, which is mostly black with a sheen to it. (Non-breeding plumage is lighter and more speckled.)

This is an introduced species, and thus isn't overly popular in the birding and naturalist community. (Apparently they were introduced by fans of William Shakespeare who wanted Americans to be able to experience all the birds mentioned in the works of Shakespeare.)

As sometimes happens, European Starlings are doing better here in North America than they're doing in their home range in Europe. They are known for their large, coordinated murmurations.

March 3, 2021 at the Raritan River Greenway

Photo 120274252, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

      




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