Citybird

And who would believe the outcome of this gathering babel?

Observe Sturnus vulgaris, everywhere,
A bird become too ubiquitous to deserve
The usual refuge of conserving care,
And so it’s granted air without reserve,
Thanks to the Bard for having Hotspur teach
The bird to speak the single word of Mortimer,
Which led old Eugene Schieffelin to reach
Across the Great Atlantic to import ‘em here;
He may have heard in turn of Laurence Sterne,
Once troubled by a caged bird that would shout
For freedom: “Can’t get out!” the starling churned;
“God help thee!” said he, “but I'll let thee out.”
Thus Eugene did release his forty darlings,
Progeny to a quarter billion starlings.