Illinois Raptor Center Newsletter Archive

Editor's note: In 1890, a Shakespearean zealot named Eugene Scheifflin turned 60 European Starlings loose in New York City's Central Park. By January 1922, 8 starlings had come as far west as Champaign, Illinois. By 1982 a single roost at Champaign contained 175,000 birds. A bird count found 950,000 in Springfield in 1977. The tens of millions of starlings that plague North America today are descended from the 60 original birds and 40 more released the following year - part of a larger scheme by Scheifflin to transplant all the birds mentioned in Sharkespeare to the New World.

Are you a starling?

Starlings. Just mention the name and people scowl. Those little black invaders from Europe are probably the most despised birds in America. They are noisy, make horrible messes, and aggressively compete with native birds for nesting sites. They are obnoxious, and there are too many of them.

Despite this, I have to admire them. They may look plain, but no other creature carries itself with such pride. They strut across our lawns like beauty contest champions. They sit on top of the birdhouses we build for other, more desirable species, and claim them as their own.

People have harassed them, trapped them, poisoned them, shot them, and declared outright war on them and yet, our efforts have little affect. It is clear to me that starlings are certain they are the most important creatures ever to walk on planet Earth.

Think about how much we have in common with starlings. We too are noisy. We make horrible messes. We push other species out of the way when it suits us, and there are too many of us.

These traits are precisely the reasons we hate starlings so much. When people behave this way, however, it seems perfectly okay. Sometimes, these traits are even admired.

So, how do we justify our behavior? How do we justify living wastefully? Do we really have the right to do whatever we want? When you really think about it, humans may be the most arrogant species of all!

But people are different in one important way. Starlings cannot control their behavior. They are only birds, driven by an instinct to survive and multiply. People, on the other hand, are able to make conscious decisions about their actions. We have the ability to form decisions based on ethics and morals. A sound ecological belief may lead us to a conclusion that we are sharing this world with many other strange and wonderful plants, birds and animals. These things sustain us by providing food, medicine and clothing. It makes sense that we should behave in a way that benefits all species, not just our own.

Of course, ethical decision making takes wisdom, forethought and restraint. Many would prefer not to try. It is a lot easier to wave off the consequences of our actions. We say there is nothing we can do. We can say it is not our responsibility. Or, we can take responsibility and make simple, thoughtful decisions that will benefit everyone. Otherwise, we are no better than starlings.

The next time your actions have the chance to affect the world we live in, think carefully about your decision. Do you want to be a human, or a starling?

by Beth Flitz has a masters in zoology from Eastern Illinois University. She is a former IRC volunteer now working for the McHenry County Conservation District.

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