Our fine fried feathers

[xilman]

Originally Posted by storm5510

Canary Islands, I hope no one decides to import starlings. We have the British to thank for the hundreds of millions here in the states. They brought them here in the 18th century during colonization. Thanks to the falcons living here now, starlings are no where near as populous as they were before. Starlings do not want to be anywhere near falcon territory. I do not know exactly what variety of falcons live here. They do what nature intended them to do. The local bald eagle population appears to share the same territory though. There are red-tail hawks here as well.

Starlings are nowhere near as common in the UK now as they were fifty years ago. No-one appears to know why. The population appears to have crashed by about 90% or so.

[storm5510]

Originally Posted by xilman

Starlings are nowhere near as common in the UK now as they were fifty years ago. No-one appears to know why. The population appears to have crashed by about 90% or so.

This is probably environmental. Perhaps something being used in agriculture now that was not back then. Bald eagles nearly went extinct here because of a pesticide simply know as DDT. It was banned in the 1960's. It caused their eggshells to be way too thin. So, they were crushed when one of the parents would sit on them to keep them warm. It has taken over 50 years for them to recover to the numbers there are now, which is considerable. If this ban had waited another five years, there might not be any eagles at all.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by xilman

We don't get cardinals in these parts. What we do get are grajas ( Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax barbarus) which are crow-like birds with red beaks and legs. Make a hell of a racket, too. I can speak rook and carrion crow well enough (well enough for them to listen and respond, anyway) but graja is a bit high-pitched for me, too falsetto. I am improving with practice though and our pair are starting to reply to us.

Hmm. "Pyrrhocorax" apparently means "Flame-colored beak." Perhaps their high-pitched voices indicate they need chough medicine.

Originally Posted by storm5510

Canary Islands, I hope no one decides to import starlings. We have the British to thank for the hundreds of millions here in the states. They brought them here in the 18th century during colonization.

Actually, starlings were introduced to the US in the 1890's. Shakespeare enthusiasts wanted all the kinds of birds he ever mentioned to be in the US. Sixty to 100, depending on which account you read, were released in New York's Central Park. Now there are, as you say, hundreds of millions of them, from Alaska to Mexico. They displace native "cavity nesters." Large flocks can devastate crops. They also aid in the spread of invasive weeds by crapping their seeds out all over.

Starlings evade predators by Murmuration. They are also good mimickers of sounds, and can be taught to "talk."

Originally Posted by xilman

Starlings are nowhere near as common in the UK now as they were fifty years ago. No-one appears to know why. The population appears to have crashed by about 90% or so.

We US-ers can only hope...

Sometimes, subtracting a native species is as harmful as adding an "alien" (non-native) species.

In the late 1950's, Chairman Mao order the Four Pests Campaign to wipe out rats, flies, mosquitos -- and sparrows. Sparrows ate so much grain, don't you know. The more sparrows you killed, the more grain would be saved.

Aggravating the effects of the Great Leap Forward, the campaign against sparrows was a factor in causing the greatest famine in human history. Besides grain, you see, sparrows ate locusts. Oops.

[BudgieJane]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

In the late 1950's, Chairman Mao order the Four Pests Campaign to wipe out rats, flies, mosquitos -- and sparrows. Sparrows ate so much grain, don't you know. The more sparrows you killed, the more grain would be saved.

Aggravating the effects of the Great Leap Forward, the campaign against sparrows was a factor in causing the greatest famine in human history. Besides grain, you see, sparrows ate locusts. Oops.

Politicians should stick only to things they know about and stop interfering with stuff they know nothing about, such as science.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by BudgieJane

Politicians should stick only to things they know about and stop interfering with stuff they know nothing about, such as science.

I would add the proviso: except when they do.

Did you see the recent case when Justin Trudeau was challenged by a journalist to explain quantum computation? He did, and very competently, much to the journalist's surprise.

[storm5510]

I found this posted on Dale Hollow Lake State Park's web page:

The only bird that will peck at an Eagle, is the crow. He sits on his back and bites his neck. The Eagle does not respond or fight with the crow. It doesn't waste time or energy on the crow. It simply opens its wings and begins to rise higher in the sky. The higher the flight, the harder it is for the crow to breathe. Eventually the crow falls due to lack of oxygen.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by storm5510

I found this posted on Dale Hollow Lake State Park's web page:

Ah, eagles.

[LaurV]

Originally Posted by storm5510

I found this posted on Dale Hollow Lake State Park's web page:

The photo is real, but the story is fake, one reporter had too much imagination, and the story caught, due to the nice parable it tells. You can google "eagle and crow", to find the original photos, comments from photographer and other people who know about birds, and how the story developed later.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by storm5510

I found this posted on Dale Hollow Lake State Park's web page:

I seriously doubt this. Crows will, to be sure, harass any hawk or owl they deem a threat -- usually by "mobbing." They might peck at whatever they're chasing, but it would be "hit and run" attacks.

For a single crow to land on the back of an eagle in flight is a bold act, but if it did anything to seriously annoy the eagle -- say peck at its neck -- that eagle would do something to make it stop right now. Perhaps a quick twist, and instead of resting on the eagle's back, that crow would find itself with a face full of talons...

[kladner]

A crow hitches a ride on the back of a vulture

You can also find pictures of crows riding large owls.

[storm5510]

Originally Posted by LaurV

The photo is real, but the story is fake, one reporter had too much imagination, and the story caught, due to the nice parable it tells. You can google "eagle and crow", to find the original photos, comments from photographer and other people who know about birds, and how the story developed later.

I see. Another variation of "fake news."