Starlings will bully other birds, kicking bluebirds, flickers and woodpeckers out of their nests. They can consume whole fields of wheat and transmit avian, animal and human diseases.
A fungus called Histoplasma capsulatum can grow in the soil beneath roosting starlings ; the fungal spores can become airborne if the soil is disturbed and cause the disease histoplasmosis, which, in rare cases, can cause blindness or death. People quickly realized what a pest these birds could be and tried to get rid of them. In Hartford, Connecticut, in , residents tried to scare the birds away from their nests by fastening teddy bears to those trees and firing rockets through the branches.
The White House tried speakers that emitted owl calls. Columns around the U. Capitol were outfitted with electrified wires.
People have tried shooting, poisoning, trapping, repelling and frightening the birds, but the population still grows. They have plenty to eat and lots of habitat to live on—what else does a species need? Sarah Zielinski is an award-winning science writer and editor. European Starlings were first introduced to the United States in In the case of the starling, the wish became reality. In the intervening hundred years the starling population has grown to an estimated million birds.
Starlings thrived because they are able to exploit a large variety of habitats, nest sites and food sources. They will eat almost anything, including a diverse variety of invertebrates, fruits, and seeds.
Problems Starlings Cause Starlings create problems for livestock and poultry facilities, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to agricultural operations yearly. Starlings gather at feed troughs to eat, contaminating food and water sources in the process. Starlings are also known to enter buildings to roost and build nests, creating sanitation problems.
European Starlings can carry diseases that are transmissible to livestock and to people, including TGE transmissible gastroenteritis — a disease of swine , blastomycosis, and salmonella. Starling nests in buildings are potential fire hazards. They also block airflow from the vent above, which is important for a well ventilated attic.
Starling nests may also have mites. Sanitation issues involving starlings are another problem. In cities, large amounts of droppings can make streets dangerously slippery and can be corrosive to cars, buildings, and statues. The sheer amount of droppings together with their chemical action can damage and kill trees and any vegetation underneath. Starling droppings have stained the side of this building. If more droppings accumulate they will drip onto the vegetation below and kill the vegetation.
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Please include photos of the suspected species to help potential identification by experts. What did you see? When did you see it? Take Action. If you need advice about invasive species on your property or you are concerned about reported invasives in your local area, contact your local government or regional invasive species organization.
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