A City of Immigrants — Birds Included
Just like many of the city’s human inhabitants, the three most common species of birds in New York City have become established far from their places of origin. Pigeons, starlings, and house sparrows are all imported birds that have displaced native species and thrived in urban conditions where native songbirds haven’t been able to adapt.
“O, ten times faster Venus’ pigeons fly”
The common city pigeon is properly termed the Rock Dove or feral pigeon. It was introduced from Europe as a domestic animal and escaped from captivity to become one of the most common and familiar birds of North American towns and cities. Originally (and still) a North African cliff dweller, the pigeon adapted easily to roosting on narrow ledges on man-made structures such as bridges, elevated roads and rails, buildings, and statues. The pigeon has been domesticated for about 10,000 years, and there are hundreds of breeds raised by fanciers. Domestication created the many color variations seen in the city’s wild pigeons today, which fall into four main types: natural, brown, dark, and checkered or pied (colors mixed with white). All-white birds are rare. The natural-colored adult has a gray body, black wing bars, wingtips, and tail tip, and an iridescent head. Pigeons mate for life, and, like other members of the dove family (including, believe it or not, flamingos!), pigeons produce crop milk to feed their chicks. The New York City pigeon population is estimated to be 4 million birds, about one for every two people. City residents may claim to find the birds a nuisance, but we care enough that the Wild Bird Fund rescue organization takes in around 3,000 injured pigeons every year. Pigeon racing, which originated in the 1880s, is still practiced in New York, although the sport is dwindling. Famous pigeon fanciers include Pablo Picasso, Yul Brynner, Mike Tyson, and Queen Elizabeth II. Recent research has found that pigeons have some amazing abilities and are much smarter than they appear.
“I’ll have a starling shall be taught to speak…”
There are an estimated 200 million European starlings in North America, all descended from about 100 birds that were released in Central Park in 1890 and 1891 as part of a project to bring all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare here. Most of the other introduced Shakespearian birds (such as skylarks and nightingales) died out, but starlings have been wildly successful. Their ability to withstand winter without migrating enables them to get first dibs on nesting sites. They are known to bully native birds, taking over the nesting holes of bluebirds, woodpeckers, and flickers, as well as nesting in birdhouses and crevices in buildings. Starlings actually prefer mowed lawns over natural meadows. They are intelligent — pet birds can even learn to talk. Their natural song is a series of whistling sounds, and they also mimic other sounds. Because it is widely considered a pest, the starling was one of only three species exempt from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. (Subsequent amendments have exempted all non-native species.) Found in large flocks year-round, starlings are glossy black with an iridescent sheen in summer, and black sprinkled with the white speckles or “stars” which give them their common name in winter. Juveniles are a grayish brown.
“There’s a special provenance in the fall of a sparrow.”
The House Sparrow, also known as the English Sparrow, was introduced along with other species from Europe in the mid-nineteenth century by the commissioners of Central Park. It was even the subject of a celebratory poem by William Cullen Bryant (after whom Bryant Park is named). Native to Europe, the Mediterranean, and parts of Asia, it has also been introduced in South America, Africa, and Australia, making it the world’s most widespread wild bird. This noisy and gregarious bird thrives around human habitations in a wide range of urban and rural environments and climates, but avoids unpopulated areas. Female and juvenile house sparrows are a mixture of brown and gray, while males have brighter markings of russet, black, and white; these markings are more dramatic in breeding season. Like the starling, it competes with native species for nesting spaces. In the city, house sparrows nest in streetlight poles, the awnings and eaves of buildings, and trees.
“Come, come, you paraquito, answer me…”
Perhaps the most exotic bird now found in many parts of Brooklyn is the Quaker Parrot or Monk Parakeet, a native of Argentina. They were popular pets in the mid-twentieth century, and the Brooklyn birds are thought to be descended from a shipment accidentally released at JFK airport in the 1960s. The medium-sized, bright-green, gray, and blue birds have been sighted in Brooklyn since the early 1970s. There are colonies at Brooklyn College, in Green-Wood Cemetery, and Red Hook Park, as well as in Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, New Jersey, and Chicago. They build large, communal nests of sticks, often in the light towers at playing fields or in electrical substations. It is the only parrot that builds a stick nest instead of nesting in tree cavities. As pets, they excel at learning to imitate human speech.
Quotations: Pigeon: The Merchant of Venice, Starling & Parakeet: Henry IV Part 1, Sparrow: Hamlet, all as cited on nosweatshakespeare.com
This article was updated in August 2020 based on content that I originally published on Examiner.com in August 2013.
