Bird: Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 紫翅椋鳥

For some reason, I often saw Common Starlings in the parks and streets in Brooklyn, New York City. After reading some information, I guess some of the reasons are because they are a highly gregarious species and they are very noisy so they easily grab my attention.
不知道為什麼，在紐約市布魯克林(Brooklyn)的公園及街上，我會常看到紫翅椋鳥。看了一些資料，我猜其中一些原因是因為它們是喜歡群居的鳥，而且很吵，才會引起我的注意。

Photo Date: Various Location: Brooklyn, New York

Notes 筆記

  • The common starling or European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is a medium-sized passerine bird. It is a noisy bird.
  • All the European Starlings in North America descended from 100 birds set loose in New York’s Central Park in the early 1890s. The birds were intentionally released by a group who wanted America to have all the birds that Shakespeare ever mentioned. It took several tries, but eventually the population took off. Many people consider them pests now when they feed on fruit and sprouting crops. They may also be a nuisance through the noise and mess caused by their large urban roosts.
  • Sturnus and vulgaris are derived from the Latin for “starling” and “common” respectively.
  • The Common starling’s plumage is iridescent black, glossed purple or green, and spangled with white, especially in winter. The underparts of adult male are less spotted than those of adult females.
  • The common starling moves by walking or running, rather than hopping. Their flight is quite strong and direct; their triangular wings beat very rapidly, and periodically the birds glide for a short way without losing much height before resuming powered flight. When in a flock, the birds take off almost simultaneously, wheel and turn in unison, form a compact mass or trail off into a wispy stream, bunch up again and land in a coordinated fashion.
  • Starlings are great vocal mimics: individuals can learn the calls of up to 20 different species. Males sing constantly as the breeding period approaches and perform less often once pairs have bonded. Females appear to prefer mates with more complex songs. Having a complex song is also useful in defending a territory and deterring less experienced males from encroaching.
  • The common starling is a highly gregarious species, especially in autumn and winter. Although flock size is highly variable, huge, noisy flocks – murmuration – may form near roosts. These dense concentrations of birds are thought to be a defense against attacks by birds of prey.
  • The common starling is largely insectivorous and feeds on both pest and other arthropods.
  • Males choose the nest site and use it to attract females. The nests are virtually always in a cavity, typically in a building or other structure, an old woodpecker hole, or a nest box.
  • Breeding takes place during the spring and summer.
  • 紫翅椋鳥或歐洲椋鳥是一種中型雀形鳥。它是一種很吵的鳥。
  • 北美的所有紫翅椋鳥都是1890年代初期在紐約中央公園釋放的100隻鳥的後代。這些鳥是由一個希望美國有莎士比亞曾經提到過的所有鳥類的組織故意釋放的。嘗試了幾次，但最終鳥的數量開始增加。現在很多人認為它們是討厭的鳥因為它們會以水果和發芽的作物為食。它們也可能因很大的城市棲息地造成的噪音和混亂而令人討厭。
  • Sturnus 和 vulgaris 分別來自拉丁語椋鳥(starling)和常見的(common)。
  • 紫翅椋鳥的羽毛是虹彩般的黑色，帶有紫色或綠色光澤，尤其是在冬天時，閃爍著白色。成年雄鳥的腹部比成年䧳鳥的腹部少斑紋。
  • 紫翅椋鳥利用步行或跑步來移動，而不是跳躍的方式。它們的飛行非常有力和直接；它們的三角形翅膀拍打得非常快，它們會每隔一段時間便滑翔一小段距離但不會失去太多的高度，然後再繼續強力的飛行。當成群結隊時，它們幾乎同時起飛和轉動，形成一個緊湊的團塊或拖成一條細流，再次聚集後以協調的方式著陸。
  • 紫翅椋鳥是很好的聲音模仿者：可以學習多達20種不同物種的叫聲。隨著繁殖期的臨近，雄鳥會不斷鳴叫唱歌，一旦配對結合後，唱歌的頻率就會降低。䧳鳥似乎更喜歡有更複雜歌曲的伴侶。能唱複雜的歌曲對於保衛領地和阻止經驗不足的雄鳥入侵也很有用。
  • 紫翅椋鳥是一種喜歡群居的鳥，尤其是在秋季和冬季。儘管鳥群的大小差異很大，但可能會在棲息地附近形成大而嘈雜的鳥群 – 雜音。 這些密集的鳥類被認為是對猛禽攻擊的防禦。
  • 紫翅椋鳥主要是食蟲動物，以害蟲和其他節肢動物為食。
  • 雄鳥選擇巢穴並用它來吸引雌鳥。 巢穴幾乎總是在空的洞中，通常在建築物或其他結構、舊的啄木鳥洞或巢箱中。
  • 繁殖時期在春季和夏季。

References 參考資料

Birds Posts 鳥的帖子

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