Birds have long been regarded as an icon in biodiversity conservation, receiving both public and scientific interest for centuries. As a symbol, birds have come to represent certain social and moral attributes (e.g. the association of doves with peace, and eagles with power). During the range expansion of humans, especially in the early colonial era, many bird species were translocated across the globe for a variety of reasons (e.g. agricultural, game and ethical). For instance, Steve Mirsky, in a 2008 article on Scientific American titled ‘Shakespeare to blame for introduction of European starlings to U.S.’, states,