The most "talented" Starling I've ever heard in my 33 years of birding was
one very vocal individual near the "Acorn Woodpecker place" where Liberty
Road branches off just northwest-ish from Ankeny NWR - remember, there was
a Yellow-throated Warbler that wintered in the vicinity a few years back.
This particular Starling was riffing hard that morning, mixing in calls and
songs of Sora, Virginia Rail, Acorn Woodpecker(!), American Kestrel,
Northern Harrier, Barn Owl (an eerily good rendition of that unnerving
screech), Greater Yellowlegs, the raspberry call of the Common
Yellowthroat, and the "pink" calls of "crowned" sparrows, among the more
usual Pewee, Killdeer and Red-tailed Hawk imitations.
I finally did get to see the Lewis's Woodpecker that was wintering at that
spot, while my ears were fixated on the American Idol finalist of
Starlings. Maybe I should start a new list: birds I've heard Starlings
imitate.
Jeff Hayes
On Mar 12, 2016 6:55 AM, "Joel Geier" <joel.geier@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
I heard one Starling doing a Greater Yellowlegs last week, and at least
one "arboreal Sora" has been around E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area all
winter.
Alan Contreras wrote:
Starlings start doing pewees in another week or so.
Tori Morgan wrote:
Gray Catbird call in Cottage Grove last week because it was probably
To prevent being a knucklehead, I told almost no one that I heard a
just a Starling. ...
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