If you’ve ever tried to find a rehabber for a starling, you know how difficult it is. Starlings, sparrows, and pigeons are considered “invasive species” by the NYS Bureau of Wildlife. Why would the bird, whose praises were sung by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, be so maligned? Do you know that Mozart had a pet starling for three years? The bird even learned to sing certain bars of Mozart’s music! Mozart loved him so much that he held an elaborate funeral –including a procession–
for him when he died. Please see more at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart%27s_starling
In Wildlife Watch’s search for a rehabber who would take these smart and adorable birds, we discovered Karla. Karla has brought much relief to our many callers who are fortunate to live in the Hudson Valley of NY. Some of our callers have even risked their own lives to rescue starlings from busy roads, though we don’t recommend it.
In the next issue, Karla will talk more about why she specialized in the rehabilitation of starlings, sparrows, and pigeons. We are looking forward!