Talking pet starling

[urbpan]

Not to give anyone any ideas, but in the United States, it's legal to own a European Starling as a pet (or pretty much do anything you want to them, as long as you don't run afoul of animal cruelty lawas). Here's someone in (apparently) South Carolina who has one, and has taught it a few phrases to speak. It's interesting how the quality of its voice is different from other talking birds.

http://myspace.com/talkingstarling

Edited to Add:

Interesting article about starling song choices: http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?issueID=104&articleID=1323

Comments

[sin-agua.livejournal.com]

I met a couple at a street fair here who had a pet starling. They even let me hold it - well I mean it perched on my finger. Cute little thing - their plumage is irridescent and just beautiful. They are considered pests out here, too, and this is probably why it's lawful to keep one as a pet.

If I was going to keep a bird, I think this would be a nice idea. But I wonder, they're SUCH serious flocking birds, wouldn't a single, solitary one in a people house eventually just go insane without 5,000 of his friends around all the time?

Loved the video of the group flocking before roosting for the night - looks just like a huge school of fish in the sky. Surreal. LOVED IT. :)

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Right. You are allowed to own one as a pet (or poison them, or catch them and bake them into a pie) because they are non-native, and therefore not protected by the International Bird Act Treaty.

[smallerdemon.livejournal.com]

Isn't there some special story about how they were introduced here?

(This past weekend I shot a great picture of one, though, perched on a street sign.)

European sparrows and starlings are both introduced species in the US as I recall.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I beg of you, click the link above for European starling. The story is there. House sparrows have a slightly different story. Together with pigeons, I call them the big three. (of introduced urban birds)

[smallerdemon.livejournal.com]

I beg of you, click the link above for European starling.

In the name of all that is holy?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Or Unholy, as you prefer.

[sin-agua.livejournal.com]

Y'know, seems like Shakespeare fans have played hell with our delicate American ecosystem, doesn't it?