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  • February Monthly Message
  • February Weekly Activities
    • Pink Shirt Day
    • Viola Desmond
    • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • January Weekly Activities
  • What is Bullying?
    • Ontario Ministry of Education
    • Signs of Bullying >
      • Victims, You Matter!
    • Make it a way not just a day >
      • Good Minds Stand Up >
        • Hiawatha and the Peacemaker
      • Pink Shirt Day
    • Take A Pledge
    • Bullying - Music and Media Literacy
  • Character Building
    • Kindness
    • Respect
    • Goal Setting
    • Compassion
    • Perserverance >
      • Perseverance Assembly
    • Fairness
    • Sportsmanship
    • Self Worth
    • Trustworthiness
  • Health and Well-being
    • Mental Health >
      • Mental health challenge >
        • self care wheel
      • Self Esteem >
        • power of Self Talk
      • Positive Mental Attitude
      • Mental Health Supports >
        • Kids Help Phone
        • Youth Mental Health
        • CMHO
    • Well-being >
      • Growth Mindset >
        • Mindfulness and Mindful Moments
      • Mindfulness >
        • Master of Mindfulness
        • Mindset of a Master - YODA
      • Stream of Consciousness/Morning Pages
      • Self Regulation >
        • Choice or Reality Therapy
        • Incredible 5 Point Scale
        • Junior Kelso
        • Five Chairs Five Choices
        • Leaky Brakes Toolbox
        • Mind Up >
          • Mind Up Music in the Morning
          • The Brain
        • Self Control
        • Zones of Regulation
      • Random Acts of Kindness
      • Wabi Sabi >
        • Mark Reibstein
      • Positive People to Learn From >
        • Terry Fox
        • Reggie Bibbs
        • Lizzie Valesquez
        • Nick Vujicic
    • Healthy Living >
      • The Importance of Breathing
      • Contact Comfort
      • Nutrition >
        • Healthy Eating Canada's Food Guide
        • Body Image
      • Relaxation >
        • Yoga
      • Daily Physical Activity (DPA)
      • Dental Care and Oral Hygiene
      • Head Lice
  • Social Studies
    • Human Rights >
      • All About Human Rights
      • Human Rights for Indigenous People
      • Human Rights Activists
      • Inspirational People >
        • Famous Faces
        • Greta Thunberg
        • Malala Yousafzai
    • Social Change >
      • Social Change in Canada
      • Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
    • Canada >
      • Oh Canada
      • Symbols of Canada
      • Government of Canada >
        • Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
        • Governor General
        • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau >
          • Prime Ministers of Canada
        • Provincial Government
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      • Citizenship >
        • Immigration
        • Refugees
    • Indigenous Studies >
      • Thanksgiving Address
      • Treaties
      • Iroquois Confederacy >
        • Haudenosaunee >
          • Clan System
          • Tree of Peace
          • Six Nations Reserve >
            • Two Row Times
      • Ojibwe
      • Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation
      • Metis
    • Canada's Role in WW I and WWII >
      • Animals in War >
        • Winnie
      • First Nations in the Wars >
        • Navajo Code Talkers
  • Contact Us
European Starling
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The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), also known as the European starling
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Brought to North America around 1890 and released in New York's Central Park, starlings have been very successful. Their total numbers here are above 50 million; some estimate that they may top 200 million. Starlings are smart, adaptable and tough, so their success isn’t surprising. Unfortunately, they’ve thrived at the expense of some native birds, taking over nesting sites from woodpeckers, bluebirds and others.

birds and bloom
the spruce
all about birds
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Southern Ontario, and especially the Toronto area, is a winter mecca for European starlings, much to the dismay of detractors who claim the birds are undesirable vermin. Though they number more than 200 million in North America, they are not native birds. But since their intentional introduction more than a century ago, their population growth and rapid range expansion confirm they are among the most successful birds on the continent.

Southern Ontario is a winter starling hub. According to Audubon's Christmas Bird Count data, over 255,000 starlings winter in the Golden Horseshoe area, about half of Canada's total wintering starling number. Since about two-thirds of Ontario's starlings migrate to warmer U.S. states during the coldest months, the winter figures represent just a small fraction of the total Ontario breeding population.

But the winter flocks bother people; they're noisy and their droppings festoon parked vehicles, statues, buildings and sidewalks.

the star
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Identify Breeding European Starlings
In breeding plumage, the adult European starling is an attractive bird with bright colors and sleek iridescence. To identify these birds, look for…
  1. Tail: In all plumages, these starlings have short, stubby tails with dark feathers. The tail is typically held closed or only slightly fanned in flight.
  2. Wings: The breeding European starling's wings are dark with buff or brown edging, though the width of the edging can vary. 
  3. Plumage: The plumage is overall dark and shiny but shows green and purple iridescent gloss in bright light, particularly on the neck. Small buff or whitish spots may still be visible on the body, or they could wear completely off by the breeding season.
  4. Bill: The starling's bill is stout and powerful, and during the breeding season, it is bright yellow in color. These birds probe into the ground seeking insects and other foods.
  5. Legs and Feet: The breeding starling's legs and feet are a bright red or orange-red, adding to the bird's colorful appearance.
identification markers
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a bird in need
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bird call
peregrine encounter
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