Those hypnotic videos you’ve seen on social media don’t tell the full story behind the thousands of starlings that have spread across North America. Though they may form stunning murmurations—the lyrical term for the folding waves of starlings in flight—the birds are not native to North America. In fact, they were introduced by a wealthy bird lover without much forethought. Ever since, the starling has plagued agriculture with disease, terrorized other bird species, and generally wreaked havoc.
