re: #281 Backwoods_Sleuth

We have a lot of Eastern Phoebes here and I was so happy to see the front porch nest repaired and in use after several years of it being abandoned.
Sadly, it appears that starlings have taken it over and killed the babees. Momma Phoebe is beyond despondent and it is heartbreaking listening to her.

Starlings aren’t native to North America. I’ve read that Starlings and House Sparrows were introduced to the US by someone who loved Shakespeare and wanted the US to have all the birds that were mentioned in his plays. Sounds stupid enough to be true. Both birds are now considered undesirable invasives. The book “Wild About Birds” by a MN DNR birding expert actually recommends that if you have too many House Sparrows around, you should trap them and kill them.