Sturnus Vulgaris

 

'A Starling'

Here lies a dear fool
A little starling; in the prime
Of his brief time.
He must feel death’s bitter pain.
My heart is riven
Thinking of him.
Reader, shed a tear as well.
He was not bad
But frisky and bright.
Underneath he was a wag,
No one would deny;
And I would say for sure
That now he is above.
In his friendly way
He will be praising me.
Yet unaware, I’d say
That he’s alive no more
To thank me for this score.

by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

I like starlings; they're cheeky, noisy and have the most beautiful iridescent plumage.You wouldn't believe it to see our garden bird feeders at the moment (see video clip above), but starling numbers have fallen by more than 80 per cent in recent years meaning they are now on the critical list of UK birds most at risk. Click here  and here to find out more.

Starling murmurations are an amazing sight. Click here to see this wonderful spectacle.

Starling squadrons fly
Swoop and turn in unison
Only they know why.

Mozart bought himself a starling in a Viennese pet shop in 1784. Click here for the story. He purportedly transcribed a melody sung by his pet bird and it is supposed to have inspired the theme of the finale to his seventeenth piano concerto. Listen here. When his pet died he was upset and carried out a mock burial, writing and reciting his poem above.

 

Writing prompts:

• As Mozart found, the death of a pet can be very upsetting. Write about a time when your pet died. Set a timer for six minutes and write about what happened and how you felt.
• Do you have a favourite bird? Write about it.
• Write in response to watching the murmuration video clip.