This week, we hear a story in two acts about a very familiar bird—the common starling. It's a non-native species that is omnivorous, gregarious, adaptable, and highly successful in its adopted land. It turns out we humans have inadvertently put out the welcome mat for this alien species. Act One tells the story about this winged invader with an $800 million appetite for fruit crops. As for Act Two, we’ll let independent producer Josh Kurz and the theater troupe Higher Mammals explain. read moreDuration: 6:06Published: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:06:37 +0000
In this sample from Pacific Grove, California, a Starling is clearly heard mimicing other birds such as an American Robin and a Killdeer, as well as mechanical environmental sounds.
A pair of Starlings talk to each other in a small tree at Rosario on Orcas Island, Washington. They often talk this way, with a complex series of soft squeaks and rattles.
