Why does everybody seem to hate Starlings and House Sparrows so much?
European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) are European species that have been introduced in several parts of the globe. In particular, Starlings were introduced to North America by one man, Eugene Schieffelin, who wished to increase the popularity there of William Shakespeare; he set out to introduce all the birds mentioned in the Bard’s writings. Starlings were his greatest success. In areas where they are native, these species receive both affection and scorn, as does any aggressive or conspicuous species in its home range. In areas where Starlings and House Sparrows have been introduced, however, they compete for food and nesting sites with native species; thus they have a detrimental effect on biological diversity. The decline of cavity-nesting birds (such as bluebirds, Sialia spp.) in North America has been attributed in part to them. Because they are not native species, these two, along with city pigeons (“Rock Doves,” Columba livia) and Muscovy
