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Problems with Starlings on the bluebird trail (Part 1)In addition to Messages that have appeared in the Bluebird Mailing Lists on this topic, the following are on the Audubon Society of Omaha website:
Subj: Nest Predator Dick Purvis, Anaheim CA Linda Violett asked about a nest predator and wondered if anyone could identify it. I am reasonably sure that the predators were starlings. I have had a very similar happening this year with similar injuries to the young and spooked adults. Starlings hang in the entrance and reach down as far as they can and kill the young which they can reach. They also harass the adults and scare them away. In my case, the starling was perched atop the nestbox when I came around. The adult bluebirds eventually moved about 200 yards away to another box and renested. Use of a 1 9?16" entrance makes it easier for the starlings to reach in. I am thinking of going back to 1 1/2" entrances since WEBL certainly don't need the larger size. I think many of our "abandoned" nests are due to starlings chasing the bluebirds away. In Lindas area there are no squirrels and it doesn't sound like a hawk. Hawks do not leave injured young.
Subj: Re: Nest Predator Hi Dick and all: The folks in Oregon swear that Starlings can reach in the 1-9/16th inch holes. The larger size seems best suited for Mtn Bluebirds, but I agree with those who say nothing isgained for Western Blues by going larger than 1-1/2". Hatch ... -- Hatch Graham, Editor, Bluebirds Fly! California Bluebird ------------------------------------------------------------------------- for the encouragement and conservation of cavity nesters -especially bluebirds- anywhere in the West
Subj: trapping starlings Subj: STARLINGS/long and grim Subj: starling's reach Subj: RE:predator reach Subj: Re:egg identification/Starlings removing young Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas cowbird eggs:They can be quite variable in coloring. I have seen them slightly larger and smaller than normal Eastern Bluebird eggs. You will get some color "bounce" off of the bluebird eggs making the other speckled egg blue also. Try shooting the egg by itself now and resend again. Yes I have had and Larry Zeleny and several others had cowbirds lay eggs in verified 1&1/2" round entrance holes. If you wait until the eggs hatch the cowbird will have "white" fuzz where as the bluebirds have black. There maybe other species of birds that could have similar young and eggs, why not let this youngster grow up and see what it becomes. Someone may have a first! Starlings don't remove young for fun or food they are simply cleaning out a cavity for possible use as a nesting site. When your birds are 5-7 days old whistle at the entrance hole. many times even if they are in a shallow nest 4" or more from the entrance hole they will thrust their head right out the entrance and beg for food. This is when starlings, grackles, magpies, jays ETC. will grab them and drag them out. When the hole darkens often the young also reach for the hole. Day old chicks (which are blind) will stretch to double their laying down height to get fed. The chicks which reach the highest normally get fed first. In Linda's case the survivors learned to stay out of reach of the entrance hole. Measurements vary tremendously on birds. Some measure the at rest length and not how far they can stretch so I believe the Starlings have far greater reach than most believe. Bluebirds: Harry Krueger and I encountered a pair of Eastern Bluebirds evicting a nest of 7 young Carolina Chickadees 5 days old along his trail. We watched the male enter and then exit the box carrying a chickadee baby in it's bill. It flew 70100 feet and dropped in along a barbed wire fence. I recovered the baby and it had a crushed head and was just about dead. We scared off the bluebirds checked the box and there were already 2 young missing, we drove 3 miles and returned with a hole restrictor and the bluebirds and chickadees were fighting now over an empty box. I have seen bluebirds attempting to remove large dead young from their box (they had the head out of the box but the body was stuck inside) I have never seen them remove a small dead baby but feel certain if it is 15 days old they could handle the removal. more mini cams will teach us a lot! KK
Subj: Re: Predator reach Linda, I missed your original post about the predation at your nestbox, but I respectfully disagree that a starling was the predator. According to Peterson's Field Guide, from the tip of the bill to the tip of the tail, a starling is 7.5 to 8.5" long. Exclude about 2" for the tail and we're down to 5.5 to 6.5" long. Given your 7.5 to 8" depth, and assuming a 2" high nest, a starling would have had to insert its whole body through a 1.5" diameter hole to reach down to the nest. We all know that we use 1.5" diameter holes to *exclude* starlings! (You didn't state what size and shape your box opening was, so I'm assuming the typical hole.) I also don't believe that starlings would prey on nestlings. If this were the case, they would have easy pickings in open cup nests! They would have the same reputation as Blue Jays and Crows. Brenda ... Subj: slots for mountain bluebirds/lime Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 14:18:25 -0600 Bob: Try this trap: Go to www.purplemartin.org/forum/ In the top frame which opens, click archives, (I think) then look for the article which is not too far down on the "NB Starling Trap." It looks easy to make, has a great philosophy, and the Purple Martin gang says it really works. The thing looks like one of those boxes a stinking starling could not keep his nose out of. Bill Darnell ...
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2000 09:15:26 -0500 Coming Soon to a Box Near You! (after putting one up, of course!) Heard alot of commotion and racket this morning, darted out of the kitchen and onto the deck in time to see 5 Starlings cussing and carrying on. Seems Poppa and Momma Bluebird did not like these Darth Vader intruders sitting on "their" perching area (over the "claimed" Bluebird box) much fussing and squawking between the group, ended with Poppa Bluebird hanging on the outside of the box, flying right at the Starling Darth Vader wanna be's and MAKING them leave the power line perch. Looked like he threw a bowling ball at 5 black "pins" and they scattered. He took over on the "perch" site, and sang his warning to all others that no one was going to have "Squatters Rights" in his territory! Now THAT'S Entertainment! --
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2000 09:37:44 -0500 BTW...Starlings don't seem to like being around a woman with a good aim and packing a paintball gun loaded with bright florescent pink paintballs. After splattering one all over one, and of course the splatters hitting the others in the same tree...they seemed to decide on moving to a better location. *grin* But they are MUCH prettier now. Pistol "Paintball" Packin Momma --
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2000 09:10:47 -0600 Bill Darnell, Savannah, TN Now, Lin, that is a new one! Shooting a starling with a paintball! Only problem is you did not kill the rat; but maybe his own kind will reject him for a while at least. When I was a kid, (long time ago) we used to catch a yard rooster and paint him a little then turn him loose. He had to fight a lot because the other roosters did not recognize him. Maybe starlings work the same way. Bill ...
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2000 10:58:42 -0500 Dear Lin, I've only seen one starling on my property during breeding season. in 6 years. It landed on top of a nest box that Bluebirds had been investigating. The male Bluebird chased it away in similar fashion, staying just behind the starling for over 200 feet until they were both out of sight. Only the Bluebird returned. Gary ...
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 09:16:27 -0800 (PST) Rob Yaksich Hi all! I seem to have misplaced the few working neurons that held all the starling trap info I've gleaned for the wisdom of the List. It seems that there were a few websites that were recommended reading, one being the PMCA (Thanks Dean S.). Beyond that, I'm at a loss. Here's what I want to try. The Starlings have wised up to my BB gun and Super Soaker, and are now out my range. Short of using heavier ammo, I was thinking of building a couple of boxes with traps in them that Starlings could enter, but Flickers couldn't. The Ash-throated Flycatchers won't be back for a while, so I want to get rid of some EUST before they arrive. Anyway, I was going to place these boxes up on poles using a pulley system for easier lowering, etc. The Flickers here are busily pounding out cavities under the careful scrutiny of the EUSTs who will move in and usurp the cavity. At least that is their nefarious scheme, which I fully intend to foil by trapping the bloody things and turning them into hawk chow! So, once again, we revisit the subject of starling traps. Sorry for my lax memory - it's been a bit on the fritz since I found out that I didn't get into grad school and now have to take the GRE's over again. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! THANKS!!!!!
The Purple Martin Market Place (814-734-4420) has a dynamite starling trap - I take starlings out of it every day. It is called a nest box trap - last catalog # I have is ST-HS. Also I put up the plastic super gourds this year and the little trapdoor traps that fit in these are also a killer on starlings. (I am using them before the martins arrive, and will also use them if a starling gets a nest started after the martins are here).
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 07:52:56 -0400 (EDT) Joe Huber Venice Fl. Hi all, To make a trap to catch Starling use a 1-34" to 2" entrance hole size and use a trap plate size of 2" wide by 4" long. I've used that size for many years.. This trap is sensitive enough that it will trip with a house wren weight. Joe Charter member NABS, Charter member OBS, Life member OBS Joe Huber http://community.webtv.net/hubertrap/HOUSESPARROWCONTROL
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 22:19:19 -0500 You are in luck, Doctor! 1. Buy a pellet gun with a 'scope. 2. Call Martin Market place 814-734-4420 and order their ST-HS nest box trap. It works like a big bluebird house with a built in Huber type trap. Put it on a post that you can reach easily with a ladder to take birds out of. Some people even put it on their martin post. I take one or two starlings out of mine every day.
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 21:22:13 -0700 Finally! But... Yesterday evening, as I was working in my garden, I heard the call of an Eastern Bluebird. I looked up and saw him about 20 feet up in an oak, 10 yards behind the fence where I placed a box 6 weeks ago. I immediately checked the box (First time in two days) and saw no signs of activity. I strolled to the my park bench about 30 yards away for a cigar and THEN IT HAPPENED. Papa Bluebird landed on the nest box. He went to the box, to the fence, back and forth, and actually went inside! The thrill of the moment was immense. My first bluebird box. My first visit! I then went for my binoculars and sat in the driveway waiting for any more action. Then, papa went inside, mamma showed up, landed at the opening and peered inside at her beau. I must admit, I had not felt this rushed since the first time I kissed a girl. I made a few phone calls to friends and boasted about my bluebirds and was very pleased. Imagine my outrage this afternoon when I drove in the driveway and observed two STARLINGS near the box, landing on it, trying to get in. Imagine my having to come to terms with what I now need to do to allow the Easterns to have the home I placed for THEM. There is no decision. I have pulled the screens from my windows and have the shotgun and shells at bay, waiting for a clear, clean and sure shot. I will feel no remorse for the taking of these starlings; I will feel that I have responsibly protected the box for the bluebirds. If I could not make this decision, I would have to take the box down. Do you other new birders get it? Nicholas
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 22:14:20 -0400 Hello all from Central Virginia. I have been a "silent" member of the Bluebird List (under different email names) for about a year. I have learned a lot from you all and have been so appreciative. Right now we are excited because we have our first nest of the spring season! Four chicks have hatched! We are delighted! Last year, in hot August, was the first successful nesting we have had. So this is only our second set of chicks. I am curious if anyone knows whether or not Starlings will take over a box? We saw last week starlings trying to enter the nest box, one with leaves in its mouth. The mother/father blues were flying around trying to drive them off. We ran outside and shoed them away multiple times. Finally my husband sat outside for about an hour to discourage them until it was dark. The next day, the starlings returned, and I ran out several times. The blues seemed to appreciate our efforts, as one of them would sit on the nest box and would not fly off when we ran out. :) The starlings worked in two's - one would fly down to distract the blues, then the other starling would fly to the nest box when the blues were chasing the other starling. So we tried to help out by maintaining our human vigil. But we had to go to work and leave them to fend for themselves. After we returned that night, no more starlings and the blues are busy feeding the chicks once again. I wondered, would the starlings have just taken over the box and built another nest right ON TOP of the bluebird chicks??? It certainly looked as if they were going to do that. Thanks
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 22:21:58 -0500 Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 15:17:11 -0400 Right now we are excited because we have our first nest of the spring season!
Four chicks have hatched! We are delighted! Last year, in hot August, was the
first successful nesting we have had. So this is only our second set of chicks.
Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 13:08:41 -0400 To: The Constituency:
Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 15:45:09 -0400 To: Everybody, If it is a Starling, I'll try to talk the folks into doing away with it, but
I doubt that I'll succeed. I don't think they'd even consider it. Irony is, I've
got a pair of Bluebird houses way out in their lawn, one of which was successful
last summer, and I think maybe one has a Bluebird nest in it now.
Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 22:04:22 -0500 Bruce - the nest in the cooker sounds like a starling nest. The eggs sound right and they will fill a big cavity if it is available. I have had them completely fill a wood duck box. Bluebird Bob, Northeast Oklahoma.
Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 07:26:38 -0700 (PDT) Bruce and Nicholas: =====
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 08:47:45 -0700 Wendy Guglieri ... Keith: Found this part of your post intriguing. Last week on my golf course trail came upon a nest that had 2 live WEstern BLuebirds, about 9 or 10 days old, I think, with 2 dead and decaying nestmates on TOP of them. The female was dead a few feet from the nest. I removed the dead ones and waited some time - the male did not appear. I thought that if he was trying to feed the 2 remaining, he would have at least shoved the dead ones to the side, so assumed he was gone. None of the 3 had signs of trauma, but it appears that they'd been dead awhile, and was very difficult to tell. Didn't LOOK like HOuse SParrow attack, though. I ended up taking the 2 live babies and after warming them up at home and giving them a couple of feedings of mealworms, fostered them with a neighbor who had 5 nestlings the same age. Hatch banded all 7 the following day - and all looked well. The sentence above from your post is what I found interesting, because on the inside of the box, at about the height I would guess to be the rear end of an adult bird, there was feces all along one side of the nestbox. There are definitely EUropean STarlings about. Wondered if this could have been what happened. Again - saw no signs of trauma - but it was difficult to tell. Do you think that it could have been EUSTs? Wendy
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 22:21:40 -0500 Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas Wendy asked if Starlings could have killed some of her birds nestlings. This was in reference to the fecal matter plastered on one side of the box. I meant to post earlier that MANY bird species tend to back up to the nest edge and try to aim their droppings out over the nest edge. I have seen the Eastern Bluebirds also plaster the sides of the boxes but this Starling nest was excessive in the amount hanging on the box sides! I feel certain that her birds died because of something other than Starlings. We are starting to get many posts about losing "our" birds. Watch to see if both parents are near. Look to see if pesticides are being used close to their feeding area. Is weather a factor? Birds do die of "natural" infections and diseases and often their young are lost at the same time. It is usually a wild guess when birds die with no marks upon their body that we can see. Remember that most birds killed by running into windows have no visible marks on them either. A very slight injury can be fatal to an animal in the wild while the same injury to a domestic pet would only be an inconvenience! KK
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 18:40:18 EDT
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 18:28:58 -0500 Starlings will remove all nesting material from a
nest box IF they can enter the box either through a 1&5/8" round
entrance hole or one slightly oval, or I have seen female bluebirds carry a few token
pieces of grass back out of a box while they are building a new nest but seldom
will they remove any
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 19:35:09 EDT
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2000 07:45:21 -0400 Ok, ok, I know most of you on the list hate European Starlings (and me) very much, because of their behavior. I just wanted to ask, a few starlings were entering a box which is a distance away from the occupied Bluebird box, and the male Bluebird chased them off. The Bluebird is not even using the box, why should he care? Is this just in his territory? That's what I think. He also does this to an American Robin which sits on top of the box to sing. Also, there is a female Wilson's Warbler that likes to cling to the side of
the box and I think she is getting insects. My boxes are covered in bark, so
they must attract insects. The Bluebird does not bother the Warbler, she is
relatively small, and never makes noise, and enjoyable to watch.
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 00:24:20 EDT Now here is an extreme that we often don't find on our list but some of us may find interesting. As you all know this is an extreme that I personally don't support. In a Message dated 8/15/00 4:01:46 PM Central Daylight Time, starlingkiller"at"yahoo.com writes: Subj: Starling Problem Jim McLochlin The Bluebird Box = http://audubon-omaha.org/bbbox/index.htm "I'm a Nature Nut, and I hope you are too" - John Acorn
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 06:36:59 -0500 Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas 104*F yesterday with unbearable heat index... I have two baby bluebirds slow cooking in my front yard. 35 nestboxes nearby and they have chosen the box in full sun. These are from the pair that began nesting in late Feb. and this is their 5 attempt at laying eggs and fledging young. First time they nested in a hollowed out log 3&1/2" inside diameter which ended in abandonment of eggs after a freeze. Second attempt they moved to a two holed nestbox mounted 7' off the ground on a steel pipe. This ended in three young dying at twelve days, no wounds and all three were sitting dead in a normal heads out tails together position in center of nest cup. Third nesting was back to the log and fledged four young. Then back to the two holed box and at 8 days into incubation four eggs lost to House Sparrows. (There are 26 different nesting "compartments" visible from this location in my front yard! The sparrows had lots of choices! This does not include natural woodpecker cavities or larger nestboxes.))Trapped and trimmed primary wing feathers on sparrows and released them. Now two of four eggs have hatched and are ready to fledge. These birds have been nesting for 6 months without the aid of mealworms. Coolest night in 42 days has been 66*F No day has been cooler than 95*F while nesting this time. There has been no rain since June. These are very tough birds! KK Starling killer page: One of our members sent this page to me a week or so ago. The best information on this page is the BBS maps. You might want to note that the European Starling hits over 100 birds per square mile across most of the US in the summer....This means that in many areas they will need 50 cavities per square mile next spring...We should never have a bluebird box that a starling is known to be able to enter! All Purple Martin forums have documented cases of Starlings entering and nesting in cavities with the Starling Resistant entrance hole that is a 3" wide crescent only 1&3/16" tall. This is 3/16" narrower than the Peterson Oval entrance hole. Draw a 3" circle on a piece of paper. Bisect this circle with a straight line so that you leave an opening no more than 1&3/16" high. Now draw the Peterson oval hole of 1&3/8" X 2&1/4" tall and carefully cut out the inside of this entrance hole and super impose it over the crescent. Now tell me than if hundreds of Starlings are reported using the crescent entrance hole why they are not entering the Peterson Oval when no one is looking? Even Kevin Berner head of NABS research states that Starlings can "EASILY ENTER" the Peterson Oval entrance hole in his nestbox tests. Is it possible that after more than ten years of documented cases of Starlings using the Peterson Entrance hole that proponents of this hole are more worried about a "system" or profits that a very difficult step for the average homeowner/box builder to copy will generate for them? Thousands of eggs and baby birds are killed every year in our nestboxes. VERY few people actually see the creature that throws the eggs out of the box. Most wish to blame the House Sparrow or House Wren. Even people with the boxes right outside their window seldom see the attacker! Starlings are usually a hit and run type attack. Just because thousands of bluebirds have fledged out of the Peterson Entrance hole DOES NOT make it the best choice. 6&1/2 Million Firestone tires are being recalled because of 66 documented failures....Should we be doing less for our Native cavity nesting birds or is this tiny percentage of known cases acceptable in "bad" tires or entrance holes? Yes as in my first post losses are inevitable so why should we allow the chance that one more type loss that can be prevented with deeper boxes and a round entrance hole that ANYONE can correctly drill rule how we bluebird! Keith Kridler firmly on my soap box....:-) again!!
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 07:08:10 -0500 I want to add one thing to Keith's great post. He is entirely correct about the Starling being a "hit and run" attacker! I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone using the Peterson would not convert it to the 1 1/2" hole. It is a great box design (harder to build) but the birds seem to really like it. If you think House Sparrows are killers, you should witness a Starling attack! They are agressive savages, and can do their dirty work on Bluebirds and Purple Martins, etc., in literally a minute! They have strong talon-like feet which can hold, and a sabre for a beak. It is gory. They easily evict Great Crested Flycatchers, Woodpeckers of all kinds. They usually throw all the nesting materiel out. Agressive is a understatement! Bill
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 19:53:23 -0500 Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas High of 107*f this afternoon, last 2 "yard" Bluebirds fledged in the heat and are safely sitting in pecan trees with young House Finches. Their two holed nestbox registered 105*f inside it at 6:30 this afternoon with box located in full sun. Minnesota bluebirders and Peterson entrance hole: For those new to the list I pick on the Peterson Oval entrance hole about every two months or whenever the Starling topic comes up! The Minnesota group is one of the best and oldest groups in the country and the late Dick Peterson was as essential to his area of the country as Larry Zeleny was to forming the nationwide NABS. I like to point out from time to time that Starlings can and do enter this oval entrance hole. Yes "research" shows it to be more popular than the 1&1/2" round entrance hole in a side by side "taste" test by Eastern Bluebirds but it has never been tested against boxes that have 1&5/8" round holes or the 1&7/8" round hole which is just smaller than the square inch size of the Peterson Oval. Why have they not been tested against these????? Because the Starling can enter them and they should not be used by bluebirders....EVERY book and nearly every article states that no entrance hole should be used that a Starling can enter. Even Doreen's book states this! Keven Berner tested oval entrance holes this past year that were 1&1/4" wide and 2&1/4" tall which should stop some of the Starlings and the bluebirds shunned this size oval in a side by side "Taste Test" with the 1&1/2" round entrance so if you compare an oval hole (probably 1&3/16" wide by 2&1/4" tall) which will prevent a starling from entering then the Eastern bluebird will prefer the 1&1/2" round hole! I do like to jab at this entrance hole but the Minnesota group is really tough and dedicated and a nicer bunch of bluebirders cannot be found in the lower 48 states! I like one and all of them, as this single point we disagree on is just a tiny part of the overall bluebird picture. I try to come across as fairly rabid and as if I have "no other life" than this issue :-) but it is only to get you to think about this and reason it out on your own! This and that: A big "Thanks" to Randy and the others who are stepping in and answering all the questions coming to the list! Keep up the good answers! Newbies: It is best if you read up on Jim Mc. best of bluebird-L as there are lots of in-depth articles there but for those of you who only have e-mail and do not have access to the internet we maybe able to get you help with volunteers copying and pasting these best articles and e-mailing them to you. KK
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 03:20:44 EDT I want to comment on the peterson hole in regard to comments Keith has made that starlings can enter the and that Kevin Berner has done research to support this. Kevin Berner has indeed done research, the report of which is availalbe at the following URL http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/jimmcl/bbbox/nabs/kb1.htm Kevin Berner's conclusions are " At this point, I would still recommend oval-holed standard nest boxes as long as the boxes are monitored regularly to ensure that starlings are not allowed to use the boxes. if regular monitoring is not possible, then a round hole would be preferable." My point is regular monitoring should always be a part of any bluebird trail. Thus there is no reason unless monitoring indicates that starlings are present in the area of a magnitude to eliminate the Peterson entrance. In another article on my web site by Wayne Davis he states "A potential problem with the Peterson entrance is that it is readily accessible to European Starlings (Sturnis vulgaris). Starlings explored my boxes but did not use any of them, probably because they are rather shallow (5 inches; 12.5 cm) with a small floor (4 x 3 1/2 inches; 10 x 8.8 cm). With a deep, roomy box you can expect problems with starlings. Kridler (1990) built six deep, roomy boxes with Peterson entrances and had all of them used by starlings. To make a Peterson type of entrance that is not accessible to starlings you would need to use a 1 1/8 inch (30 mm) bit." This article is located at: http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/jimmcl/bbbox/nabs/wd1.htm Jim McLochlin The Bluebird Box = http://members.aol.com/jimmcl
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 19:24:50 -0700 I have been monitoring for 11 years and only once have had predation- and that was a Brown-headed Cowbird, which I had firmly believed was too large to get into a Peterson's box. The bird left two eggs, one of which survived the entire nesting period in one piece. Luckily, it was sterile and now sits on my mantel. The presence of the Cowbird that hatched did not affect the health or development of the Eastern Bluebirds in that box and that really surprised me. I have had great success with the Peterson's box and am replacing all my existing boxes with new Peterson's boxes before next spring. Judy Mellin ... Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 03:07:10 -0800 (PST) I live in west Tennessee. During the cold winter that we have had, an army of starlings, blackbirds and such have discovered my birdbath and food. Usually the bluebirds start checking out my yard about this time of year. I am afraid they will not stay with the present company. I try to only feed the "songbirds". Should I stop feeding? I just put up a bluefird feeder this week. What type of feed should I use to encourage the bluebirds? Thanks, Robin ===== Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 15:50:42 -0500 ----- Original Message ----- I'm in Michigan & in reply to your questions about starlings & blackbirds hogging your feeders-Tennessee is far enough south that the birds you're questioning may be Redwing Blackbirds on their way back up north; they migrate with Brownheaded Cowbirds & Grackles, so you may have these too; if that's the case, I'd kill to have these guys in my backyard, but I won't be seeing them until another month or so, & I just can't wait to see them; RWBB's are among my very favorites-tho some may disagree with me, I've never found them to be a problem feeding w/my other birds & I relish them during the warmer months. If your visitors are starlings however, that's a totally different situation; those birds are truly a nasty pest species who eat up every bit of food that migrating birds depend on-both coming & going-& who not only nest in every conceivable space a bluebird or other songbird might otherwise use, they actively seek out & destroy the songbird nests they can get to; I've watched them destroy finch nests & try in vain for days to get into my bluebird houses; last year I started shooting them w/my bb gun & destroying their nests all over my neighborhood-but don't do that until they have babies,because that's the best way to keep their huge & increasing numbers down; they then not only have to rebuild the nest, but lay more eggs, which of course I'll get as well; the huge flocks in my area have seriously diminished since I started actively getting rid of them. I'm constantly watching my feeders during the cold months to make sure they know they're not welcome, but occasionally they slip through; they're so afraid of me now that all I have to do is clap my hands to simulate a bb gun sound & they leave the area. Have you further identified the birds in your yard? Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 23:02:30 EST I live in middle TN and have the same problem. These are mostly the nasty
starlings, and I really haven't found a solution. I just keep clapping my hands
at them. Unfortunately, this also scares away the doves, which are pretty much
the only other birds that hang around when the flock of starlings swoops in. I
would love to here any solution from someone else with this problem. Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 07:46:37 -0600 There are hanging tube type feeders called haven feeders which are surrounded by wire that is only big enough for song birds to enter, but too small for starlings. There are also bluebird feeders that have a hole in them that bluebirds enter to eat grubs, similar to the way a bluebird would enter a nextbox, and again the hole is too small for starlings. This won't help the ground feeding birds, but it will at least help the others. Check out Grubco.com and TheWildBirdStore.com. Eric Clayton It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then
don't say it.
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 08:39:48 -0600 (CST) good morning all; we live on a small 5 acre farm in ks and are lucky enough to have lots of natural cavities for our bb, wrens, squirels, ect to share. and i have also made 3 nest boxes this winter to help the blues a little more. a few days ago here came the starlings, devouring the berrys off the natural cedars and exploring all the nesting places. i have checked with state and local authorities and have learned it is legal to eradicate the starlings by any means other than poision. my question to all is would a home coming bb hearing and ocasional volley of shotgun blasts
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 09:07:12 -0600 (CST) good morning all; we live on a 5 acre farm in s ks, we are lucky enough to have lots of natural cavities for the bb, wrens, squirrels, ect to share. i have also built 3 nest boxes this winter in hopes of attracting more blues. our bb have not showed up yet but the starlings have. they are devouring the berries off the native cedars and exploring all the cavities on the farm. i have checked with state and local authorities and it is legal to eradicate starlings by any means other than poison. our blues have not made it back yet and my question is if they heard an occasional volley of shotgun fire do you think they would be frightened enough not to stop? i hope a day or two of starling hunting will solve my problem. thanks if anyone can help; wayne & sherlyn
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 16:07:03 EST I just bought a wire cage haven feeder and hung my log-suet feeder in that. It didn't work those darn STARLINGS still got to the suet!!! I"m sooo mad! Any brain storms out there any one? I thought about a skinnier log? Linda - Ind.
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 15:42:20 -0600 I just bought a wire cage haven feeder and hung my log-suet feeder in
that. There are plans for a completely-effective starling-proof suet feeder in the Minnesota DNR's birdfeeding book by Carol Henderson ("Wild About Birds: The DNR Bird Feeding Guide" Minn. DNR, 1995 (1-800-657-3757) p. 210). We've made hundreds of these suet feeders in children's feeder workshops and they are totally starling-proof. Jim Walters james-walters"at"uiowa.edu
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 17:29:48 -0800 (PST) Bluebird fans.... Thanks for the input about trying to get rid of those starlings. I live in a tight neighborhood, so the bb gun is not possible. (although I still have my bb rifle from bygone years, I guess I could check it's working condition for a couple of rounds!) I have not put feed in the main feeder for the birds for over a week. The doves have left but the starlings are still checking things out everyday. A few redpoles and juncos eat from a small bird feeder that I have on the side of the house. Also, thank-you Bruce Johnson for your update. I am off this week and hope to make arrangements to meet you & your wife. Happy trails, Robin ===== Robin Mayhall
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 20:48:47 EST In a Message dated 2/5/01 10:19:03 AM Eastern Standard Time, barbqisus"at"webtv.net writes: off the native cedars and Kathy Clark New Cumberland, PA Please check the Bluebird Reference Guide for the address/phone of Andrew Troyer. He has a trap which acutally looks like a nesting box but which when starlings enter they will become trapped and can be #$(#($*. Another option he has are plans for a large V top trap. This is a good time to do this in the winter. Please get one of his catalogs so you can see some of the options that are available. If you don't have the reference guide email me and I'll be happy to provide that information to you.
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 19:36:12 -0500 Hi all, Has anyone successfully captured starlings in the ST-1 sparrow trap? I'm guessing they'd get caught quite nicely in the two outer compartments -- but can they get through to the middle one -- or are the entry holes too small? I saw this trap at a meeting and was only thinking about HOSPs at the time. Hopefully, Dot; eastern Mass
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 07:51:11 EST I have the ST-1 and I really don't think a starling can get through the middle hole. I bought the trap for HOSP only. Linda - Ind.
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 07:55:42 -0600 Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas heavy rain this AM The St-1 will indeed capture larger birds including Starlings and even Kestrels trying to reach the captive House Sparrows. I even caught two Loggerhead Shrikes at one trap setting. These larger birds cannot get to the middle compartment and unintended trapped birds can safely be released. The Starlings can be hand moved to the center compartment as live decoys. Sandhill cranes are classified as a game bird in many states and only areas where they are being re introduced are they protected. Bluebird hybrids: As far back as the 1970's John Lane in Canada was often reporting as many a 40 hybrids of young bluebirds a year between Mountain and Eastern Bluebirds. KK
Problems with Starlings on the bluebird trail (Part 2) |
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