THE BIRD BOOK 
STARLINGS. Family STURNID/E 
Starling 
[4.Q3.] Starling. Sturnus vulgaris. 
Range. — A European species which has cas- 
ually been taken in Greenland. It was liber- 
ated a number of years ago in Central Park, 
New York City, and has 
now become abundant 
there and is spreading 
slowly in all directions. 
They build their nests 
in all sorts of locations 
such as are used by the 
English Sparrow, wher- 
ever they can find a 
sufficiently large crev- Bluish green 
ice or opening; less often they build their nests 
in trees, making them of straw, twigs and 
trash. They lay from four to six pale bluish 
green eggs; size 1.15 x .85. Two broods are 
reared in a season. 
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. Family ICTERID^ 
494. Bobolink. Doliclwnyx oryzivorus. 
Range. — Eastern North America, breeding from New Jersey north to Nova 
Scotia and Manitoba, and west to Utah and Nevada ; winters in South America. 
This black and white bird is well known in the east, where Ms sweet, wild 
music, often uttered on the wing, is much ad- 
mired. He sings all day long during May and 
June to his Sparrow-like mate, who is sitting 
on her nest concealed in the 
meadow grass. They are 
quite sociable birds and sev- 
eral pairs often nest in the 
same field, generally a damp 
meadow; the nests are hol- 
lows in the ground, lined with 
grass and frequently with the top slightly arch- 
ed to conceal the eggs, which are grayish white, 
clouded, spotted and blotched with brownish, 
gray and lilac; size .84 x .62. They number from 
four to six and are laid in June. 
495. Cowjbird. Molothrus ater ater. 
Range. — North America from the Atlantic 
to eastern California, and from New Brunswick 
and Manitoba southward; winters from the 
southern half of the United States southward. 
These uncivilized members of the bird world 
build no nests for themselves, but slyly deposit 
Bobolink 
314 
