The Common Starling, otherwise known as Sturnus Vulgaris or European Starling, is a medium sized songbird that is a member of the Sturnidae bird family. These birds are known to mimic sounds from other species and can even mimic human speech when held in captivity. They are very stout in their build and have short tails. They change color depending on the season, such as purple-green feathers in the summer and brown feathers with white spots in the winter. Common Starlings originated in Europe, specifically Norway, Russia, and Siberia. During the winter, they migrated to northern Africa and India. From there, Starlings have been introduced to several places such as Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, South Africa, and North America. They …show more content…
When a flock of them land in an agricultural area, they do a considerable amount of damage to crops such as Cherries, Olives, Grapes, etc. They also damage wheat fields by digging up grain and eating the seeds. Starlings can transmit diseases to livestock and humans such as transmissible gastroenteritis virus, salmonella, and blastomycosis. Histoplasmosis, a fungal respiratory disease, is another health concern. It’s occurs during large winter roosts with these birds. The mass accrue of droppings enrich the soil where the fungus grows. When disturbed, the spores from the fungus can become airborne. If inhaled, Histoplasmosis can be contracted. Most cases are mild, but on occasion it can cause blindness and even death.
Starlings are extremely aggressive and will compete with other species of birds as well as their own. They attack other birds and their nests, sometimes even taking over their nest as their own. Eggs in those nests are usually destroyed by the Starling. Because of the Starlings aggressive ways, there has been a decrease of native birds.
Although Starlings cause numerous problems, they have also been shown to benefit the environment. Starlings will eat just about anything from seeds to small insects and other invertebrates. This greatly helps control the pest problems in agricultural areas.
Numerous control methods have been advised to stop the expansion of Starlings. These methods
The Cardinal, also known as the redbird and the Virginia nightingale, is about eight inches long, a little smaller than a robin. They have perching feet to help support them when they are sitting in the trees. Their throat and area around the base of the bill is black and they have a seed eating beak. Cardinals have an elliptical wing because they need to have the capability for quick take-offs and and
The corvids, a group that includes crows, ravens, jays, rooks, jackdaws, and magpies. These are considered some of the most social and intelligent species of birds on the planet. Forming alliances, fostering relationships, and recognizing individuals is all part of what gives credit to their brilliance.
its eggs in other bird's nest. If it not were for the other species ignorance,
Throughout the existence of the habitable world, many species have roamed around the surface of the Earth, some withstanding natural selection and defining the term survival of the fittest as superpowers and domination claimed the territory; for instance, the Mustelidae family has diversely distributed its subdivisions through the process of evolution in order to be able to withstand the environmental changes in their ecosystem and compete for the natural resources provided by mother earth. In addition, the semiaquatic specie, the mink, has undertaken the process of evolution and expanded throughout numerous regions of the world, creating differences between the species and eventually generating related cousins and others. During its existence, the minks have left their footsteps in the evolutionary process of the development of other animals and has influenced numerous cultures as human have adapted their way of living
I do love watching them at the platform feeder, the most common type purchased. Even how they approach the feeder is interesting. Chickadees are unafraid and friendly. They flutter in, wait for me to fill the hopper, and chirp away “hurry, hurry”. Then they’ll get a sunflower seed, head to a limb, hold the seed in their toes and peck it open. Those little bundles can eat a lot too, coming back again and again.
The American Mink (Neovison Vison) is a semi-aquatic animal that lives in forested areas where there are ponds and lakes for them to swim. They feed on frogs, cray fish, muskrats, birds and ground squirrels (Fur Commission USA). Their ranges vary by gender, male minks can inhabit 2.5 miles of stream or river to about 2, 500 acres of wetland territory while female minks inhabits much less wetland only about 40 acres and about 1 mile of stream or river. Male minks tend to hunt more than females during the spring time, so it is more likely a male mink will be spotted over a female mink (Magnusdottir et al. 2014). There has not been a mink spotted in Abernathy filed station
My invasive species that I’m investigating is the American mink it is invasive in England. The American mink came from North America, and got brought to England in 1929 for fur farming.
This animal regions in the Asian region, Americas region. The harrier migrate from Canada to the Caribbean and southern America in the winter. They are found in the northern hemisphere and rarely breed in the Atlantic coastal states.
Their immense reproduction numbers drive their species up to prosperity at the cost of other beings, it has an instinctual drive to consume all it can. It follows what it knows, but it is costing others livelihood and becoming increasingly problematic for the ecosystems they are introduced to.They are easily brought into other systems and easily adapt to new conditions which allows it to pull resources that would otherwise go to the native species.
Originally barred owls originally lived on the east coast but recently they have been invading the home of the spotted owls living on the west coast. While they are invading they are pushing out the native spotted owls. Northern spotted owl population have fallen by about 12 percent each year. (Washington Post). In addition
1) In the Macaulay Library collection, I was able to find an audio sample for the Lark Bunting; the scientific name for this particular variation is calamospiza melanocorys. This beautiful black and white species of bird is native to the North American continent. The particular recording I listened to was a male bird in the process of a mating call. The recording was taken by Wilbur L. Hershberger on May 8, 2013 in the U.S. state of Colorado.
These birds most commonly found in North America. It will breed through a wide range from western Alaska and Northern Canada all the way to the west Indies and Panama. The bird is one of the larger birds in its subspecies it weighs about 1.52-3.53 pounds or 690-1600 grams, and measuring 45–65 centimeters or 18–26 Inches in
Birds have fascinated people for years. Whether it's their striking color, lovely songs, care for their young, or ( most often ) their ability to fly. Not all birds however fall into each one of these catergories. One species, for example, are the owls. Owls are not the brightest color and don't have as lovely songs as a canary. They are different from many birds including other birds of prey. To look at all these wonderful owls would take more than a few pages so we will look at one, the Barn Owl.
An avian predator is: An environmentally safe, ecologically sound wildlife control company certified green. The primary method of control is the use of falcons for bird abatement, which is safe, non-toxic and humane. One of the largest raptor species in the Northern Hemisphere is the golden eagle. The golden eagle is a top predator, which can prey over a wide range of species, from small birds, and rodents even to ungulates as large as deer. They examined the impact of the predation risk imposed by a large avian predator, the golden eagle, on its potential mammalian mesopredator prey, the red fox, and the pine marten.
Not all the birds are to be trusted, and there are other spies more evil than they are here” (Tolkien 183). Consequently Sam “looked up into the pale sky, fearing to see hawks or eagles hovering over them with bright unfriendly eyes” (Tolkien 184). Though The Hobbit showed a second depiction of crows and ravens; they are viewed as friendly, helpful and proven as trustworthy animals to the protagonists such as Roäc the raven. On some occasions they spoke with the dwarves and Bilbo without presenting a potential threat to them. However, Gandalf and Aragorn still carry their suspicions of birds and beasts whenever they are traveling across Middle Earth. Since ravens and crows are actually seen to play a good and evil role through the story due to their ability to collect information and bring news to their allies, it opens to the possibility they are being unknowingly exploited when used for evil purposes. Birds who are allied with dwarves further suggest that the crebains serving Saruman were once a normal race of crows who lost their way of life and honor by having their minds corrupted through persuasion.