A few dozen birds released in New York City more than a century ago hardly sounds like the beginning of a continental transformation. Yet European Starlings went from those early Central Park introductions to one of North America’s most widespread birds, as per a report by AllAboutBirds and Space Daily.
The familiar story says the release was inspired by Shakespeare. But that part of the story is much less certain than the birds themselves. Modern historians have shown that the popular tale of Schieffelin wanting to introduce every bird from William Shakespeare's plays is likely a later fable, as per several reports.
