Those Pesky Starlings
The Poetic Origins Of Washington's 'Rats With Wings'

Thursday, September 6, 2007

At the end of summer, dark clouds of birds swarm over some Washington neighborhoods. At night, these flocks of European starlings -- hundreds of them -- cover the tree branches. In the morning, you-know-what covers everything else.

This makes the people who live there very unhappy. On Potomac Avenue in Southeast Washington, postal carriers sometimes even refuse to deliver mail because the sidewalks are so slick and yucky from the great globs of poop.

"Rats with wings" is what some people call the pesky birds.

Blame It on Shakespeare

Compared with most birds in America, starlings are newcomers. They were brought here in the 1890s for a silly reason: A group of Americans who liked English writer William Shakespeare thought this country should have all the birds mentioned in his poems and plays.

There were no starlings around, so the Americans sent for 100 from Europe. The birds were released in New York City's Central Park.

It didn't take long for the starlings to start spreading. The feathered little bullies grabbed the best nesting holes wherever they went. Soon there were lots more starlings than bluebirds, wrens and other native birds.

Starlings are great at finding ways to live in new places. At first they nested in tree holes. Then they discovered that nooks in buildings make good homes, too.

They liked to eat insects but, hey, there's nothing wrong with city garbage. And newly planted crops? Yum!

There aren't many birds that can live in hot, dry deserts as well as very cold, wet places. But starlings figured out how to do it.

And wherever they go, they add plants to their nests that keep away blood-sucking mites and lice. That means their babies have a good chance of growing up healthy.

In Europe, They're 'Little Stars'

People in Europe often get annoyed with starlings, too. But long ago they kept the birds as pets and taught them to talk. The famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was proud of his pet starling because it could sing music he had written.

Some Europeans still think the birds are wonderful. In Denmark, starlings put on a big show during migration. Flocks of millions of birds darken the sky in what is called the Black Sun celebration. For a few weeks each spring and fall, the birds swirl and whoosh above the marshes every evening. Eventually, they fly far away to their nesting and wintering places.

Starlings (meaning "little stars") were named for the white speckles on their feathers. In fall, when they grow new ones, each feather has a white tip. By the beginning of summer most of the white "stars" are worn off, and the birds look dark. But at any time, when they sit in bright sunlight, shimmering colors bounce off their black feathers.

Starlings are clever and interesting, and it looks as if they're here to stay. Those original 100 birds have multiplied to more than 200 million across North America.

It seems nothing can stop them!

-- Claire Miller