Starling

a handsome singing, perching bird of Europe, about eight and one-half inches in length. The plumage of the common starling is of lustrous black. Some parts are iridescent with dark green, others with a steel blue, purple or violet sheen. The bill is yellow; the feet are red. The American red-winged blackbird is frequently, though incorrectly, called a starling. Starlings gather in flocks and live a life much like that of the blackbird. A few pairs of starlings were introduced by the fruitgrowers of Victoria, Australia, in the hope that they might prove helpful in destroying insects. They have multiplied until myriads hover over the orchard and pounce down on the ripening fruit. Like the English rabbit in Australia and the English sparrow in America they have become a serious pest. See Blackbird