Andrew Keeler Jr., age 12, of Erie, Penn., for his question:

IS THE STARLING A FRIEND OR A PEST?

Starlings are black songbirds with pointed wings, short tails and long, sharp bills. Sometimes, when the fruit season nears harvest time, the starling can become a great pest to the farmer because he eats berries, cherries and even apples and pears. But most of the time farmers look upon the starling as a friend because it can eat great numbers of harmful insects.

The starling came originally from the British Isles and other parts of Europe. In 1890, about 60 starlings were set free in Central Park in New York City. About 40 more were set free in 1891. Today millions of starlings live in the United States.

The starlings in Norway and Sweden fly to Southern Europe when winter arrives. A starling's feathers have a greenish purple or lilac gloss and are tipped with buff during the winter. The birds live together in large flocks.

A female starling lays from four to six light blue eggs. The birds make nests in hollow trees, birdhouses or in holes in cliffs.