Starlings are songbirds belonging to the starling family. They are widespread throughout Eurasia, and have also taken root in North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Instructions
Step 1
Starlings are representatives of the order of passerines. The appearance of these birds, to put it mildly, gives the impression of their clumsiness. The body length of an adult starling reaches 23 cm, and its weight is about 75 g. A massive body and a very short neck give this creature an awkward look. The starling's beak is long, but thin, and slightly lowered downward.
Step 2
Most starlings are migratory birds that fly south to winter. As a rule, they winter in northern Africa or southern Europe. But there are also sedentary species of these birds. In general, in nature, you can count more than 100 species of the starling family, but the common starling is almost ubiquitous. This species tends to form entire colonies during the nesting period, consisting of several pairs of birds.
Step 3
All starlings, without exception, are songbirds. Their voice is loud, but a little squeaky. In addition, starlings are skillful parodists: they imitate the singing of completely different (from an ornithological point of view) birds, and sometimes the voice of a person. Bird watchers who have studied the mimicry of starlings have noticed that these birds can perfectly imitate the croaking of frogs, the bleating of sheep, and even the barking of dogs.
Step 4
Nowadays, representatives of the starling family even copy mobile phone melodies! Scientists who have observed migratory species of starlings note that upon their return from the south, these birds skillfully sing with the voices of subtropical birds. Russian ornithologists note that starlings masterfully imitate warblers and thrush.
Step 5
The mating season for sedentary species of starlings begins in early spring, and for migratory ones - immediately after returning from the south. The offspring of these birds appears helpless and silent. Starlings are birds that take care of their offspring in pairs, i.e. both the female and the male are engaged in the search for food. Migratory species of these birds begin to fly to warm regions from mid-September to early October. However, some species of starlings fly south with the beginning of the first snow.
Step 6
It is curious that some people associate starlings with birdhouses, but in fact these birds are forest dwellers who arrange their nests in tree holes. Birdhouses are installed in order to settle these wonderful birds closer to themselves. The fact is that these birds are excellent fighters against harmful insects that "wield" in the gardens and vegetable gardens of a person. In addition, the starling fertilizes the soil with its droppings.
