{"id":47360,"date":"2021-03-19T19:12:52","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T23:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/?p=47360"},"modified":"2024-11-06T15:08:29","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T20:08:29","slug":"essay-are-starlings-really-invasive-aliens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/essay-are-starlings-really-invasive-aliens\/","title":{"rendered":"Essay: Are Starlings Really \"Invasive Aliens\"?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n              <figure class=\"size-large alignnone\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Carlin-319196471.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Carlin-319196471-1280x660.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Carlin-319196471-720x372.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Carlin-319196471-1280x660.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Carlin-319196471-768x396.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Carlin-319196471-1536x793.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Carlin-319196471-480x248.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Carlin-319196471.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" alt=\"A flock of European Starlings in Pennsylvania. Photo by Martin Carlin\/Macaulay Library.\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a>\n                <figcaption>A flock of European Starlings in Pennsylvania. <em>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/asset\/319196471\">Martin Carlin\/Macaulay Library<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption>\n              <\/figure>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group sidebar-alignright sidebar-space order-bottom\"><div class=\"article-list list-style alignright\"><h2 class=\"article-list-header\">More From Living Bird<\/h2><ul><li class=\"article-item\"><div class=\"article-item-container\"><div class=\"article-item-media  content-living-bird-toc\"><figure class=\"article-item-media-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Spring21-TOC-FI-YTWarbler-Hennessey.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Spring21-TOC-FI-YTWarbler-Hennessey-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Spring21-TOC-FI-YTWarbler-Hennessey-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Spring21-TOC-FI-YTWarbler-Hennessey-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Spring21-TOC-FI-YTWarbler-Hennessey.jpg 725w\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"Living Bird Table of Contents, Yellow-throated Warbler by Ray Hennessey.\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"article-item-body\"><span class=\"article-item-header\">Living Bird Spring 2021\u2014Table of Contents<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"article-item\"><div class=\"article-item-container\"><div class=\"article-item-media  content-living-bird-toc\"><figure class=\"article-item-media-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest.png 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest-240x180.png 240w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest-480x360.png 480w\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"Living Bird-latest issue\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"article-item-body\"><span class=\"article-item-header\">Living Bird Magazine\u2014Latest Issue<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"article-item\"><div class=\"article-item-container\"><div class=\"article-item-media  content-article\"><figure class=\"article-item-media-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive.png 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive-240x180.png 240w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive-480x360.png 480w\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"Living Bird archives\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"article-item-body\"><span class=\"article-item-header\">Living Bird Magazine Archives<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n<p><small>From the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/living-bird-spring-2021-table-of-contents\">Spring 2021 issue<\/a> of <em>Living Bird<\/em> magazine. <a href=\"https:\/\/join.birds.cornell.edu\/page\/14522\/donate\/1\">Subscribe now<\/a>.<\/small><\/p>\n<p>European Starlings are pests: they sometimes eject bluebird eggs from nest boxes, and they eat millions of dollars of grain each year. Officially, the European Starling is designated as an <em>invasive alien<\/em> species in North America. But they didn\u2019t just land here mysteriously; they were introduced in 1890 by a well-meaning Shakespeare enthusiast. We invited starlings here to the U.S., and now we lament how these birds hurt our ecosys\u00adtem and our economy.<\/p>\n<p>In this past year of pandemic isola\u00adtion and social unrest, I\u2019ve had plenty of time to reflect on my relationships with others\u2014including my relationship with my PhD study species, the European Starling. I rarely talk about my research without defending this pest. But this last year has forced us to consider the power of our words, and I\u2019ve begun to think more about why we vilify the European Starling and other invasive species.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Starling-RBWoodpecker-Rathne2000r.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Starling-RBWoodpecker-Rathne2000r-720x524.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Starling-RBWoodpecker-Rathne2000r-1280x931.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Starling-RBWoodpecker-Rathne2000r-768x559.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Starling-RBWoodpecker-Rathne2000r-1536x1117.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Starling-RBWoodpecker-Rathne2000r-480x349.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Starling-RBWoodpecker-Rathne2000r.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"A native Red-bellied Woodpecker fights off an European Starling from the woodpecker's nest cavity. Photo by Philip Rathner via BIrdshare.\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><figcaption>A Red-bellied Woodpecker fights off a European Starling from the woodpecker's nest cavity. <em>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/2jwSUQ9\">Philip Rathner<\/a> via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/groups\/birdshare\/\">BIrdshare<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption>\n              <\/figure><\/div>\n<p>I\u2019m a biologist, but I also work part-time facilitating dialogues about identity and diversity. When I take off my facilitator hat and return to my PhD dissertation, I bring questions about how we communicate back to my science. And, especially because most of us in the United States and Canada are immi\u00adgrants at some point in our family histo\u00adries, I\u2019m committed to remembering that how I speak about nonnative immigrants changes how we collectively respond.<\/p>\n<p>Biologists call starlings nonnative, but we also call them <em>aliens<\/em>. When I\u2019m writing up my genetic research on star\u00adlings, I use the conventional language we scientists have agreed on in order to signal to other scientists that I\u2019ve done my homework. But I can\u2019t help thinking of the parallels with countless stories about human \u201caliens.\u201d Whether we intend this comparison or not, labeling immigrants \u201cinvaders\u201d and \u201caliens\u201d iso\u00adlates those who cross a border in search of a safer, stabler life. Talking about these similarities in language may seem like a pointless academic exercise, but the sto\u00adries we tell about immigrants (human or starling) determine our actions.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video alignright\">\n              <video controls=\"\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" poster=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/StarlingMurmuration-Baker-ML-still.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/201821461.mp4\" playsinline=\"\"><\/video>\n              <figcaption>European Starlings form a murmuration in England.  <em>Video by <a href=\"https:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/asset\/201821461\">Greg Baker\/Macaulay Library<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption>\n            <\/figure>\n<p>In biology, one key characteristic of an invasive species is that they often outcompete native species. To conserve biodiversity, invasion biologists must decide how to respond when invasive species harm native plants and animals. When we call attention to a conflict between native and invasive species, wildlife managers get the resources to respond. For example, U.S. Fish and Wildlife managers often control starling populations in the name of saving a native species in peril. This conflict repeats itself daily, and each time we must decide which species are truly native\u2014and deserving of protection\u2014and which are invasive aliens.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-list list-style alignright\"><h2 class=\"article-list-header\">More in This Issue<\/h2><ul><li class=\"article-item\"><div class=\"article-item-container\"><div class=\"article-item-media  content-article\"><figure class=\"article-item-media-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Plante-FI-1280x720.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Plante-FI-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Plante-FI-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Plante-FI-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Plante-FI-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Plante-FI-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/EStarling-Plante-FI.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" alt=\"European Starling by Matthew Plante\/Macaulay Library.\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"article-item-body\"><span class=\"article-item-header\">The Secret to Starling Success: It\u2019s in Their Genes<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<p>I work closely with USFWS managers who work to protect birds, and I struggle to determine my own responsibility in this challenge. I endanger starlings when I call attention to the damage they cause. There are certainly times when we need to manage starling populations. However, as research by my colleagues at the Cor\u00adnell Lab of Ornithology has shown, star\u00adling populations have plummeted over the last several decades. Other research shows that the starling\u2019s negative impacts on native species may not be as dramatic as we thought. Tree Swallows seem to have adjusted their nesting behavior in response to starlings. According to Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas Bird Count data, the presence of starlings does not actually explain native bird declines. Long ago, we designated the starling an invasive alien that threatened native birds, but as ecosystems change, so does the starling\u2019s impact on those ecosystems.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group sidebar-alignright sidebar-space order-bottom\"><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\r\n<span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da\">\r\n    <span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da\" id=\"hs-cta-096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da\">\r\n        <!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]-->\r\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/95627\/096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/95627\/096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da.png\"  alt=\"subscribe to Living Bird magazine\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a>\r\n    <\/span>\r\n    <script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script>\r\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n        hbspt.cta.load(95627, '096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da', {});\r\n    <\/script>\r\n<\/span>\r\n<!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\r\n\r\n<\/div>\n<p>Our national conversations about racial equity and political dissent in the last year reminded me that I must change my behavior in response to crises. It has also encouraged me to consider my impact on others, human and starling alike.<\/p>\n<p>As an ornithologist, I want to protect birds, but what I alone can accomplish is only a fragment of what we can gain together. As elegantly analogized by <a href=\"http:\/\/adriennemareebrown.net\/\">adrienne maree brown<\/a> in her book <em>Emergent Strategy<\/em>, when vast flocks of starlings form murmurations they swoop and dive as one giant intercon\u00adnected organism in the sky. I think often of what I can learn from these starlings as I aspire to move with such trust in my own communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From the Spring 2021 issue of Living Bird magazine. Subscribe now. European Starlings are pests: they sometimes eject bluebird eggs from nest boxes, and they eat millions of dollars of<a class=\"excerpt-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/essay-are-starlings-really-invasive-aliens\/\" title=\"ReadEssay: Are Starlings Really &#8220;Invasive Aliens&#8221;?\">&#8230; Read more 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Tide is Turning for Shorebirds of China's Yellow Sea"],"_birdpress_prev_article_title":["The Secret to Starling Success: It&rsquo;s in Their 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flock of European Starlings in Pennsylvania. Photo by Martin Carlin\/Macaulay Library. From the Spring 2021 issue of Living Bird magazine. Subscribe now. 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