Florida's Nonnative Wildlife. Species detail.
First year: 1920
Extirpated year:
Established status: Populations
are confirmed breeding and apparently self-sustaining for 10 or
more consecutive years.
Estimated Florida range: 67
counties At least 10 years
Statewide trend: Stable
Threats to natives: Can be a
serious competitor with native species for tree cavities, often
aggressively evicting other species from cavities.
Species Account: The songbird
was introduced into the United States from Europe in 1890. Its
first appearance in Florida might have been around 1920. All 200
million North American European starlings are derived from 80-100
birds released in Central Park, New York City. It was not present
south of Orlando before 1950, but it is now present statewide,
where it is usually associated with disturbed areas created by man.
It has a wide and adaptable diet. It is considered a nuisance
species because of its gregarious behavior and tendency to roost
and nest in buildings. Much effort is spent to control local
numbers of roosting and nesting Starlings, but only with temporary
success.
Habitats: Central or core urban
area, Low density suburban development, areas peripheral to core
urban areas, and small towns, Agricultural habitat
| County |
First Year |
Extirpated Year |
Breeding status |
Notes |
| Northwest |
|
|
At least 10 years |
|
| North Central |
|
At least 10 years |
|
| Northeast |
|
|
At least 10 years |
|
| Southwest |
|
At least 10 years |
|
| South |
|
|
At least 10 years |
|
References
Cabe, P. R. 1993. European Starling (Sturnus
vulgaris) In Birds of North America, No. 48 (A. Poole and F. Gill,
eds.) The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA and The
American Ornithological Union, Washington D.C.
James, F. C. 1997. Nonindigenous Birds. Pages
139-156 In Strangers Among Us: Impact and management of
nonindigenous species in Florida. (Simberloff,D., D. Schmitz, and
E. Wilson, eds.) Island Press, Washington D.C.
Robertson, W. B., and G. E. Woolfenden. 1992.
Florida bird species: an annotated list. Florida Ornithological
Society, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Stevenson, H. M., and B. H. Anderson. 1994. The
birdlife of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville,
Florida, USA.
Links to more information
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