Evening star., 1927-10-30
STARL|NGS FLOCK
TOCAP|TAL TREES
Invasion of Birds Reaches
High Point as Winter
Approaches.

Washington is experiencing this Fall
one of the biggest invasions it ever
has suffered from the English star
lings who congregate all Winter by
the thousands on trees and on window
ledges along the avenue.
AT the same time Shenandoah Val
ley farmers are complaining that
these sharp-beaked birds have ruined
q considerable part of the apple crop
by pecking at the fruit. 1t so hap
pens, according to Department of
Agriculture psychologists, that this
section of the country happens to be
in the path of the latest wave in
which the starlings are advancing
over the country from a nucleus in
New York City.
The English starting originated in
the United States nearly 40 years
ago when so pairs were released in
Central Park. New York. For nearly
ten years they clung to the city and
its immediate environs before they
became sufficiently numerous to over
flow this area. Then, multiplying
rapidly, they started to move north.
south and west in waves and have
been advancing their territory ever
since.
Winter City Dwellers.
The startling clings to the big cities
in Winter and Washington for the
past three years has been suffering
an experience hitherto known to New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
With the coming of cold nights the
birds flock together from a wide area
of the surrounding countryside and
huddle on window lodges, descending
in clouds at twilight. The bird is
almost exclusively a Winter city
dweller and none of the big roosts
is found in the open country or the
smaller towns, although large flocks
frequently congregate in the country
in the Summer.
The only reason which has been
advanced for this, according to De.
partment of Agriculture ornitholo-
gists, is that the birds appreciate the
cuddling against the walls of heated
buildings. They still go into the
country during the day to get their
food and return at night, each individ,
ual by unerring instinct flying to the
spot which has been selected as
community roost. These birds have
the same habit in various European
cities.
There may be instances, according
to the Department of Agriculture,
when starlings make a great nuisance
j.
pen to be particularly abundant at
the right place at the right time.
Nevertheless the bird is the farmers
friend and by far the greater per.
centage of its food consists of in
furious insects. Because of this bene-
ffcial habit it is considered generally
worthy of protection but when great
flock swarms upon cherry or apple
orchard they are likely to cause heavy
loss.
The bird is quite different in it's
food habits from the English sparrow
which is largely grain eater and
frequents the cities because it can ob-
tain food there in the Winter rather
than for the shelter. Thus great
numbers of sparrows are found on
bare trees opposite the National
Theater where they get no great pro-
lection from the wind while the star
lings hug the roofs and the window
lodges.
Migration Started i'm 1922.
The great advance of the startling
from Philadelphia southwark came in
1922 but it is just reaching its high
water mark here. They are not yet
seen in great fiocks in the South
Atlantic cities although the next wave
probably will cover some of these.
The starlings, according to the De-
partment of Agriculture, are natural
vagrants and are quite susceptible to
cold. In the majority of cities the
first appearance of these birds has
been during Winter and early Spring.
In some localities they are only ac-
cidental visitors for several years
after their first appearance, in some
they breed the first season and then
disappear, and in others they settle
down Immediately as residents.
Much of the spread or the English
starting has resulted from the ten
dency of small f1ocks to wander away
from the central roost and sometimes
they go so far away that they can
not get back and form a new roost
OF their own. The enormous increase
in numbers can be appreciated from
the fact that each pair usually raises
two broods of from three to six young
a year and the rapid growth of a
flock requires constant reaching out
for new sources of food. Wandering
fiocks have been seen in some locali-
ties at the same time, as though
scouting for new dwelling places.
Starlings Are Fighters.
The bird already probably has
spread as far north as it will go.
1t is expected that it will spread
steadily southwark and also over the
Allegheny Mountains, but it probably
never will venture into the prairie
country in any great number.
The starlings have pugnacious dis
positions and often drive other birds
from the vicinity of homes, especially
blue birds and f1ickers, which nest
in holes or in bird boxes. Where Win
ter feeding stands are provided the
starlings are likely to hog all the
food. A great deal Of popular an
tagonism to the starting has arisen
which, according to the Department
of Agriculture, is not wholly justified.