 In South Africa , the common starling was introduced in 1897 by Cecil Rhodes . It spread slowly and by 1954 had reached Clanwilliam and Port Elizabeth . It is now common in the southern Cape region , thinning out northwards to the Johannesburg area . It is present in the Western Cape , the Eastern Cape and the Free State provinces of South Africa and lowland Lesotho , with occasional sightings in KwaZulu @-@ Natal , Gauteng and around the town of Oranjemund in Namibia . In Southern Africa populations appear to be resident and the bird is very much associated with man , his habitations and pastures . It favours irrigated land and is absent from regions where the ground is baked so dry that it cannot probe for insects . It may compete with native birds for crevice nesting sites but the indigenous species are probably more disadvantaged by destruction of their natural habitat than they are by inter @-@ specific competition . It breeds from September to December and outside the breeding season may congregate in large flocks , often roosting in reedbeds . It is the most common bird species in urban and agricultural areas . 
 In South Africa , the common starling was introduced in 1897 by Cecil Rhodes . It spread slowly and by 1954 <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> reached Clanwilliam and Port Elizabeth . It <a href='drop_aux' title='2'><mark>is</mark></a>now common in the southern Cape region , thinning out northwards to the Johannesburg area . It <a href='drop_aux' title='3'><mark>is</mark></a>present in the Western Cape , the Eastern Cape and the Free State provinces of South Africa and lowland Lesotho , with occasional sightings in KwaZulu @-@ Natal , Gauteng and around the town of Oranjemund in Namibia . In Southern Africa populations appear to be resident and the bird is very much associated with man , his habitations and pastures . It <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>favours</mark></a> irrigated land and <a href='drop_aux' title='5'><mark>is</mark></a>absent from regions where the ground is baked so dry that it cannot probe for <a href='negative_concord' title='6'><mark>insects</mark></a> . It may compete with native birds for crevice nesting sites but the indigenous species <a href='drop_aux' title='7'><mark>are</mark></a>probably more disadvantaged by destruction of their natural habitat than they are by inter @-@ specific competition . It <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>breeds</mark></a> from September to December and outside the breeding season may congregate in large flocks , often roosting in reedbeds . It <a href='drop_aux' title='9'><mark>is</mark></a>the most common bird species in urban and agricultural areas . 
In South Africa , the common starling was introduced in 1897 by Cecil Rhodes . It spread slowly and by 1954 done reached Clanwilliam and Port Elizabeth . It now common in the southern Cape region , thinning out northwards to da Johannesburg area . It present in tdaWestern Cape , the Eastern Cape and the Free State provinces of South Africa and lowland Lesotho , with occasional sightings in KwaZulu @-@ Natal , Gauteng and around thdaown of Oranjemund in Namibia . In Southern Africa populations appear to be resident and the bird is very much associated with man , his habitations and pastures . It favour irrigated land and absent from regions where thedaound is baked soo dry that it cannot probe for no insects . It may compete w native birds fir crevice nesting sites but the daigenous species probably more disadvantaged by destruction of their natural habitat than they are by inter @-@ specific competition . It breed from September to December and outside the breeding season may congregate in bigass flocks , often roosting in reedbeds . It the most common bird species in urban and agricultural areas .