Evening star., 1946-12-20
This and That
BIZ Charles z. TrncelDell
IVAN BUREN, STREET.

Dear Sir:
II like the starlings.
"They 60 to work on my lawn In pla-
toons, and give 1t q thorough going over.
81 feed these birds, and hope they
don't legislate against them.
They are creatures OF habit as to
roosting places, but are also particular.
The Treasury Building is ideal for them.
Has any one ever taken the trouble to
observe just where they roost downtown?
know they only use certain trees for
roosting and do not 90 to the others.
ALSO, does any one know how many
there are? There must be 5000 to TO-
coo at the Treasury alone every night
now. VERY truly, H. M. D"
~
Out of more than 10000 individuals
Of rs bird species counted December
%, last. $1,000 were starlings.
This gives you good idea Of their
proportion to the others In the local
bird population.
The count took in only 239 English
sparrows, by contrast, although it may
be presumed that those doing the count
ing were not particularly interested in
common sparrows, and therefore missed
seeing many Of these.
Nearly 500 crows were seen In this one
day in the local area by these SO OBJ
servers, and 696 slate-colored juncos.
It may be realized, then, that the pro-
portion of starlings to other species is
very large in the wintertime.
Total starlings run, in some estimates,
as high at 100000.
It is their hocking proclivities, how
ever, not so much their total numbers,
which makes them nuisance to certain
persons.
This gathering together was what led
to the determination OF the great pas
senger pigeon, which once fairly blan-
keted the skies of America.
Roasting birds are easily taken.
Accounts tell Of the way men and boys
dubbed the pigeons of their perches
and shipped them to New York City.
The accepted procedure with regard
to starlings seems to be to wiring their
necks.
This has been done several times in
the West, where the birds take refuge in
cattle barns.
It may be understood that the type of
human being who is willing to wiring
the necks of 800 birds in few hours
we believe that was the records not
exactly what would be acceptable in
drawing room.
AS far as accounts of such starting
slaughterers show, the actual work must
be left to men of the crudest type.
Such massacre in the National Cap
ital of the Nation bowling the loudest
for peace would be spectacle not ex-
actly consistent with ideas of world bet
terment
Starlings are not rats.
No one has accused them of harming
mankind very much.
The greatest criticism against them
lies in the roosting habits and their in
telligent preference for nice warm places
to sleep.
On the credit side may be placed their
destruction of Japanese beetles and
other insects inimical to man, their in
terest to many who love the birds in
general, and the position they hold in
their homeland.
& II sometimes comes as a surprise to
Americans to learn that the old star
ling, in England and in Europe in gem
eral. is regarded as very fine bird.
Famous authors have praised them
there
It is evident that abroad various ma
tural enemies keep them down in NUM-
bers, so that at no time are they given
to sleeping In large congregations. Also.
over there the buildings have little heat
Iii them to lure them.
A richer and warmer America just
suits the starlings.
II they like it here, 1t is partly our
own fault. Those wise birds know good
thing when they md It.