European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris

The *European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)* is an old world species which was introduced into the United States in the late 1800s. It is now common virtually anywhere in the U.S., especially in cities and towns. It is often regarded as a pest, and as an aggressive non-native species it often takes nesting sites from our native birds. The first two shots on this page were taken in April, 2009, in McAllen, Hidalgo Co., Texas, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and an EF 500mm F/4 L IS lens and 1.4X extender. This bird is investigating a nesting cavity in a dead palm trunk.