but along with the cold and snow, a large group of Starlings has found its way to the yard too. I do find their photos quite entertaining but truth be told, I could live without them pooping all over the place, trashing the bird baths and eating everything in sight… They kind of remind me of the Bumpus Hounds from A Christmas Story 🤪
I’m a year late to following up on this post but I didn’t forget.
Mimicry
Starlings have complex vocalizations, and a lot of it comes from mimicking the calls/songs of other birds. 💜 Pet starlings can learn to mimic human speech so well that they sound like mini tape recorders. Spamton Obviously fits this description with his vocal mimicry involving [Ad-Snippet Speech] and variety of weird glitchy noises he makes.
Invasive species/overpopulated
European starlings have an unregulated population and just keep Multiplying. Much like computer spam. They also lay blue eggs. (PIPIS.) Ads by nature are Invasive and obnoxious and outcompete other forms of content. Starlings usually outcompete native birds.
Mini Spamtons are born out of blue eggs and His Population is Uncontrolled And Rising. SOUND FAMILIAR.
Iridescent black color
These birds always look a little greasy. A little shiny. It’s like they personally use Spamton's hair gel. Also their colors are very similar, look at this bird’s light pink feet and bright yellow beak!
Adapted to urban environments
European Starlings are generalists, so they’re adapted to live in disrupted environments and can get by on pretty much anything. This includes cities where they might feed off scraps. Spamton Also lives in a city dumpster and gets by on anything he comes across. This bird is Spamton. You agree.
They’re generally pretty scrappy and loud and Obnoxious and invasive- yet very sociable w/ complex vocalizations/mimicry and get along well with people. Also you can legally have one as a pet :)
These collagraph prints by American artist, educator, and printer John Ross (1921-1917), made for the 1998 Birds of Manhattan, depict a few of the more common birds of that island against various architectural features of the city. It's sometimes easy to forget how biodiverse Manhattan is, particularly in bird life. Manhattan lies on the eastern route of the Atlantic flyway, so it receives many visitors as well as serving as a year-round residence for many species of birds.
The book, another donation form the estate of our late friend Dennis Bayuzick, was conceived, designed, illustrated and printed in an edition of 40 copies by John Ross at his East Hampton, New York High Tide Press in collaboration with relief aid officer and Greek and Latin scholar Lloyd Jonnes, who wrote the text. The binding, with its inset painted relief of a Cardinal, is by James D. Marcantonio at his Hope Bindery in Providence, R.I. This book was selected for the 1998 “50 Books / 50 Covers” by the American Institute for Graphic Arts in New York.