Thursday's Bird Watch

I can't believe that this week I am featuring a bird I dislike, but here it is, - - a European Starling.  I took this photo here in Dallas Retirement Village on January 19th. A non-native, European Starlings were first brought to the United States from England and released into New York's Central Park in 1890 as part of a local Shakespeare Society's plan to introduce all the birds mentioned in Shakespear's works. They quickly spread across North America. Here in DRV they are among the top dozen birds to be seen all year around.  A worry is that they out compete many native cavity nesting birds.  Most annoyingly they mimic a variety of other bird calls and songs, creating confusion.