Starling nests unwanted

Morning Star Published: April 11, 2009

Tree fruit and grape growers are asking for people’s help to make potential nest sites on their property unattractive to starlings, to prevent them from breeding this spring. Starlings are an introduced bird species that cause millions of dollars annually in crop damage. But they are actually urban birds, who only head into rural areas when the cherries, grapes or other crops there are ripe for their picking, explained Connie Bielert, manager of the starling control program, which is supported by a number of agricultural organizations as well as valley regional districts. Bielert said starlings are cavity nesters, which most often choose sites in buildings for their nests, so it’s important to make those areas unavailable. They will also take over bird houses where the entry is large enough, and oust songbirds, so make sure the entry is no larger than 3.2 centimetres in diameter. Vents, crevices, the rafters of old barns or other buildings are ideal for starlings looking for nesting spots.People are asked to board up all cavities in buildings and prevent them from nesting in corners and ledges, under dormer roofs and in downspouts and dryer vents.

In the coming weeks male starlings will begin building nests in order to attract mates. So if you destroy a nest now or shake the eggs when they’ve been laid, it will prevent a new family of starlings from getting started, she explained. Starlings can raise three clutches of eggs in a season. Because there are so many starlings, their droppings are a health issue in feed, and they move into the territories of songbirds like bluebirds and chickadees and chase them off. But, you will never see them when you’re camping out in the wild because they’re urban dwellers which like to hang out where people are.

They’re opportunists, explained Bielert. When the grapes or cherries or other soft fruits are not ripe, they’ll hang out at the landfill. One peck can ruin a fruit for market and starlings descend in flocks of thousands at a time when a crop ripens. Some farmers have lost an entire season’s crop in one fell swoop when they arrive. The program also involves trapping them, using different kinds of traps, and setting them up at landfills, feedlots and in orchards or vineyards where the birds congregate. Starlings are not native to B.C. and they’re listed on the World Conservation Union List of the world’s 100 worst invasive species of birds, partly because of their high reproductive rate. Reducing their populations will mean less need for such control methods as noise cannons and other scare devices or crop netting. If you see flocks of starlings gathering, contact bielert at: cbielert@nethop.net or call toll-free: 1-877-762-4652.

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Don Quixote Note:

Starling Control this year at NORD is budgeted for $26,500 of which the URBAN Dwellers of Vernon will pay $13,647 (51.5%). For some odd reason Starling Control unlike the Sterile Insect Release program (S.I.R.) is taxes on BOTH Land and improvements while the S.I.R. is taxed on Land only (plus an orchard parcel tax).