Evening star., 1945-03-23
This and That
By Charles E. Trdce1DeH.
"THORNAPPLE STREET.

Dear Sir.,et.se.gs.-
I wonder II you can guess what birds
came along with the robins?
"Starlings. to be sure!
Our family was amused at the ST.
multaneous appearance of the two
species. No sooner had our first robin
come, than down few at least 10 star
lings.
The question Is, did the latter come
to share the raisins which we put out
for the robins?
And such a squawking, whistling,
squeaking, gurgling and trilling no one
ever heard before!
Il had always known that starlings
were fine whistlers, but I did not re-
member that they possessed such va
riety of sounds so varied and high, so
piercing and yet at times SO sweet.
Il think we should credit this bird
with being good musician, at least on
the serio-comic side. Not all of them
can be mockingbirds, or thrushes, or
even song sparrows, but these starlings
put on a real entertainment.
Fortunately, We never have them in
great numbers out here They come
from time to time, in spring and fall,
but never more than q dozen at time.
I'm this way we see only their good
side and not their bad. In winter large
fiocks Of them often fly over on the way
to Rockville and the neighboring farm
country, where they evidently drop down
in the fields for grains.
II have often marveled at their DOW
.ers of flight. In world plane-mad, as
it were, the startling is great aviator,
and that ought to give him certain
standing, should it not?
Yours cordially, J. S."
X X X X
The more one values and admires
mans powers of flight, as exempified
around the world, the more he must
credit the humble starting with being
sterling aviator.
We are glad our correspondent notes
this birds ability as a singer.
Many persons are willing to laugh, as
SO many persons. are always willing to
laugh, the moment one mentions certain
birds as songsters. They are used to
hearing the thrush spoken of as song
bird, but when any one says the crow
or the startling is a "songbird," they be-
gin to snicker, when they do not ques-
ton outright
AS matter of fact, the term song
bird does not necessarily mean a fine
singer. 1t simply indicates that the
species possesses throat muscles which
are shared in more or less detail, by all
the birds scientifically classed as song
birds.
Since crows and starlings and Jays
possess these muscles, they are song
birds, and this whether they can really
sing note.
Actually, the starting has quite a
repertoire. He not only whistles, in
spring, in the clearest and most dulcet
tones, which any boy might envy, but
he can make variety of sounds that
would put the jay bird to shame for
oddity Of expression.
Many persons have written to this
column asking for help as to the iden-
tity OF some unseen bird whose loud and
clear notes were unlike any others.
In most cases these birds were star
lings, the same birds whose rush up
Pennsylvania avenue every evening is
one Of the unheralded sights Of the
National Capital.
Starlings are not mean birds, and
seldom bother other species at feeding
places.
It must be remembered that these
large fellows are in the process of max
ing wholly new migration routes in q
strange land. Most Of these routes
have been made, between here and
Canada. but some of the birds are ex-
tending their journeys southwark and
no doubt come back with the robins,
joining them in their trips northward.
It is significant that many starlings
showed up in suburban neighborhoods
at the same time as the favorite robins.
f>a bird may be judged by the company
1t keeps, the Startling Is all right.