Starlings cause a lot of trouble. Labeled one of the world’s worst invasive bird species, they devastate farms, drive out native birds, and interfere with aircraft. Many birdwatchers openly despise starlings, or more politely, look down on them. Yet all the things that lead us to see starlings as pests are also signs of their extraordinary adaptability. Among the most successful birds on the planet, they are easy to overlook—and too easy to blame.Blending natural history with scien...