what is the difference between a starling and a crow?
as a child, i used to think that starlings were very pretty. They are black, but have what look like a magical purple/blue tinge to their feathers. They are small and act like a normal songbird. When I told my mother the one day that I liked them, she said,"Oh ick, even the cats won't eat those when they die". After that day, I looked at them differently and never thought about it until now. Yesterday, on the pavement, there was a small black feather that looked like it came from a starling. I did not pick it up in case it came from a crow. Today, on my way back from class, the starling feather was gone, but a crow feather was on the ground. It was then that I began to contemplate why I had ever stopped liking starlings and how much crows bother me. The very way that the crow moves, it seems too intelligent and full of dark power. The way that a starling moves is so sweet and light, yet they are both dark feathered birds.
I am beginning to think more about my past and how I have been shaped from it. Only after reflection and purposeful choices can I be free to move to the next stage in life. I feel myself becoming more introspective and a feeling of separation from my fellow students. I am transitioning through the last part of being a student to becoming a teacher. It is as if any new connections to my peers will only hamper the progress. It was not conscious at first. I just began to notice that my preoccupation with acquiring friends and people to connect with has come to a sudden halt. I speak when spoken to and think more before I speak. The connection that I once could feel with the entire student body is fading as I continue towards December.
Some information about starlings from wikipedia:
Starlings have strong feet, their flight is strong and direct, and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country, and they eat insects and fruit. Several species live around human habitation, and are effectively omnivores. Many species search for food by opening the bill after probing it into dense vegetation; this behavior is called "open-bill probing" or is referred to by the German word "zirkeln" (pronounced [ˈtsɪʁkl̩n]).
Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen. Most species nest in holes, laying blue or white eggs.
Starlings have diverse and complex vocalizations, and have been known to imbed sounds from their surroundings into their own calls, including car alarms, and human speech patterns. The birds can recognize particular individuals by their calls, and are currently the subject of research into the evolution of human language.[1]
I do believe that each animal holds significance and a certain power. The following information is from http://www.animalspirits.com/index41.html
Starling's wisdom includes:
* Ability to control mobs
* Imitation
* Adaptability
* Intelligence
* Mental receptivity
I find my current probing about starlings ironic in that I will soon be teaching high school, my current status as a student feels like an imitation, I am adaptable and intelligent and receptive.
Out of curiosity, not desire, but for a further understanding of my dread of crows, I will research them a bit too.
Crow/Rook's Wisdom Includes:
* Guardian of the place before existence
* Ability to move in space and time
* Honoring ancestors
* Ethics and Ethical behavior
* Carrier of souls from darkness into light
* Working without fear in darkness
* Guidance while working in shadow
* Moves freely in the void
* Understands all things related to ethics
* Shapeshifter
Upon reflection: I do have a fear of danger and death. I a perpetually trying to separate myself from my past, though it is impossible and self-defeating. I am currently exploring my past which is close enough to shadow, I am bound where it is free, my course is unknown, but my plans are set whereas a crows never are. Perhaps I fear that which has haunted my past affecting my future. Perhaps I am envious of the crows power when I feel like I just have to go through routines right now. I will reflect on this further.
For now, it just seems apparent that these birds represent very different attributes that I am trying to develop or fight. I can't help but feel that they have come to my mind and my life for a purpose.
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