167 

 NOTES ON THE STARLING. 



RH.KV FORTUNE, F.Z.S., 

 Pivsidciit of the Iltirrogate Nnttiralists Society. 



Last year information respecting the breeding of the Starling 

 {Sturmis vulfi^aris) was puiilished in the columns of 'The Naturalist.' 

 It is in the hope of getting a little more information about this 

 common bird that these lines are penned. 



Does the Starling pair for life? This is a question I should like 

 settling with the help of the readers of 'The Naturalist.' For 

 many years I have had Starlings under constant observation, and my 

 opinion is that in a good many instances they do. 



The hole in which the nest is built is never really deserted. 

 When the young are ready to fly, the old birds and young disappear 

 early some fine morning into the country, where they stay continually 

 day and night for a few weeks. After that time the old birds return 

 to the hole every day throughout the winter, and roost therein at 

 night ; they are occasionally accompanied by the young ones. If 

 two broods are reared in a season, the parent birds stay a shorter 

 time in the country with the first brood. 



On a fine winter's day, the old Starlings are almost invariably to 

 be found on the house-top, warbling and chirming out their peculiar 

 song. On the approach of spring, if the young birds are still about, 

 there arc sure to be fierce combats for possession of the hole, as 

 a rule resulting in the victory of the former tenants. Sparrows, too, 

 often try to obtain possession, but they are soon evicted, being 

 generally hauled out by the tail, very often the tail feathers and Mr. 

 Sparrow parting company during the struggle. The quantity of 

 tail-less Sparrows to be seen about during spring, proves that this is 

 no uncommon occurrence. 



Starlings are excellent mimics, and it would be interesting to have 

 recorded the various calls they have been heard to imitate. I have 

 heard them give perfect imitations of the cries of the following birds 

 this spring : — Sparrow, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Yellow Hammer, 

 Chaffinch, etc. 



A year or two ago the shepherd in Haverah Park told me that 

 Starlings were a regular nuisance to him ; they imitated his whistle 

 so closely that even the dogs were deceived. While he was relating 

 this, we heard them at work, and the representation of the human 

 whistle, as given by them, was perfect. 



They are very quarrelsome birds. A dozen or two come regularly 

 every day into our stable-yard for food. It is very interesting to 



June i8qo. 



