STARLINGS : Family Sturnidae [ 49 1 ] 



Starlings: Family Sturnidae 



Starling: 



Sturnus vulgaris vulgaris Linnaeus 



DESCRIPTION. "Primaries ten, but first quill minute; bill straight, nasal feathers 

 erect or inclined backward; nostrils with conspicuous nasal scale. Adults in summer: 

 glossy, greenish or purplish black, speckled with buffy brown and whitish; wing 

 and tail feathers largely edged with brownish buff; bill yellow. Adults in winter: 

 upper parts light brown; under parts whitish, spotting often so conspicuous as to 

 obscure the underlying green and purple. Length: 7.50-8.50, wing 5.00-5.10, tail 

 1.60-2.. 90, bill .95-1.00." (Bailey) Nest: A mass of straw, feathers, and other 

 debris, built in a box, hollow tree, or about crevices of buildings. Eggs: 4 to 7, pale 

 greenish or bluish white. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Introduced from Europe and now widely distributed over 

 eastern half of United States and Canada. In Oregon: Introduced in Portland but 

 now, fortunately, extinct. 



IN 1889 AND 1892., the Portland Song Bird Club released 35 pairs of Star- 

 lings in Portland. These birds established themselves and remained for a 

 number of years, but some time about 1901 or 1902. disappeared, which, 

 in the light of the troubles with this species in the Eastern States, was a 

 fortunate thing for the Pacific Coast, for if the Starling ever becomes 

 abundant there the small-fruit industry will suffer severely. 



Crested Mynah: 



Aethiopsar cristatellus cristatellus (Linnaeus) 



DESCRIPTION. Entire plumage black except for white wing patches. Head crested 

 with tuft of feathers that project forward. Iris, back, and feet yellow in adult. 

 About size of a robin. Nest: In holes about buildings or in trees, a messy structure 

 of almost any available material such as grass, weeds, straw, feathers, papers, etc. 

 Eggs: 4 to 6, light blue to greenish blue. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Introduced and established about Vancouver, British 

 Columbia, and Fraser River Valley. In Oregon: Straggler from colony in Vancouver, 

 of which there is one record. 



A SINGLE Crested Mynah came to a bird-feeding station near Mount Tabor 

 Park in Portland and remained for several days. Gabrielson saw it, 

 February 4 and 6, 192.2., and from its appearance and behavior did not 

 think it to be an escaped cage bird. It was probably a straggler from the 

 British Columbia colony. It will be a sorry day for Oregon if the Crested 

 Mynah should ever become numerous, and every effort should be made to 

 prevent that happening. 



