Why European Starlings Are A Perennial Problem: History And
Biology Of European Starlings In North America This article is
slightly revised from one which appeared in TFGV 4 years ago and
of course, starlings continue to be major pests of grapes and
fruit. The next issue of TFGV will include a comparison of the
pros and cons of various realistic and practical bird control
measures along with some discussion of the requirements for
successful and legal bird management. Like so many other
deliberate introductions of non native vertebrate species around
the world, the introduction of European starlings (Sturnus
vulgaris) to North America was a misguided and foolish episode.
After the first two introductions failed, 60 birds were brought
to Central Park in New York City in 1890 by The American
Acclimatization Society. A further 40 starlings were introduced
in 1891 by this group whose aim was to bring all the species of
birds mentioned in Shakespeare's plays into North America. From
that sad and humble beginning,