As the Starling Flies

Abstract

The concept of science evokes forward momentum, a steady march of progress as scientists accumulate knowledge, refine hypotheses, and make theoretical leaps. But science, it turns out, can also meander as much as a wandering bird.

Illustrating this concept is research on the European starling, a migratory species whose annual travels have been helping shape the field of bird migration science for the past hundred and twenty years. Starling research, from early bird banding to current satellite tracking efforts, has been marked by moments of controversy and confusion alongside insight and discovery. Following starlings — and the researchers who study them — reveals the hidden twists and turns that characterize the path to scientific understanding.