Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.

Odds are, European starlings are at least a little familiar to you, even if you’re just not that into birds. The species is one of the world's most successful habitat generalists, capable of occupying almost any available (or exploitable) ecological niche. Here in North America, the starling’s ubiquity and "invasive" status make it the object of much animus. In spite of the detrimental role starlings can (and often do) play, I have a soft spot for species like starlings that are able to eke out a living - even thrive - across a range of conditions and situations. Plus – good golly, is this bird’s beauty underappreciated!

Clothed in a cream-speckled, iridescent suit of blues, greens, purples, and browns, the starling is dashing, if despised. Like so many American immigrants, the bird made a fresh start in New York just before the turn of the 20th century. The 150-200 million starlings that call North America home all descend, Old Testament-like, from one group of birds (numbering between 60 and 100) released into Central Park in 1890. Shakespeare enthusiast Eugene Schieffelin believed his goal of introducing all bird species mentioned in the great bard’s works was a worthy one. Legion biologists disagree.

Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).

Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.