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Pest Information - Starling
By: Dan Collins
<http://www.pestcontrolmag.com/pestcontrol/author/authorInfo.jsp?id=4697>
Direct To You: Bird Control Newsletter You’re driving down the road and up ahead you notice what appears to be a large black cloud on the horizon. As you get closer, you notice the cloud is a swirling black mass of birds evoking memories of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. Why all of a sudden have these massive flocks of birds appeared? During the fall and winter months, European starlings (/Sturnus vulgaris/) along with other blackbird species (Family: /Icteridae/) congregate in huge masses at industrial sites, along roadsides, in farming communities and in urban settings. Although European starlings don’t truly migrate, individual starlings and small flocks of starlings begin assimilating in early fall and grow until the height of the winter season. Often, these masses of birds are so wide in scope they can even darken the sky when passing overhead. Doesn’t it seem to be disadvantageous to be in such large numbers when food supplies are at their lowest? Let’s examine why birds flock in the fall and winter months and how these flocks can create headaches for bird management professionals. Safety in numbers The old saying, “the more, the merrier” certainly applies to large flocks of European starlings. As can be expected, more eyes mean predators such as Cooper’s hawks and peregrine falcons have a harder time sneaking up on unsuspecting starlings. In addition, when large flocks of starlings burst into the air in large swirling and circling masses, it causes confusion to would-be predators. Imagine trying to select one M&M tossed into the air at 20 miles an hour amongst hundreds of others. Foraging advantage Contrary to popular belief, larger flocks of starlings are better able to find food resources than individual starlings. Remember, flocks of starlings are comprised of many individual birds and smaller bird flocks that have found food resources in their environment prior to joining the main flock. One small flock of starlings may have excellent food resources such as plowed fields near the larger roost site. This smaller flock of birds, in turn, could lead and direct the main flock of birds to these “proven” feeding sites, thus benefiting the entire group. Heat conservation Large flocks of starlings are able to conserve heat better, particularly at the main roost site. Starlings can huddle close together en masse to raise core body temperatures, improving survival on cold winter nights. Even when in large masses, however, peripheral starlings may succumb to exposure on extremely cold nights. Implications for BMPs Large starling flocks at industrial and agricultural sites along with cities and towns is probably one of the most-challenging and least-understood bird management issues facing BMPs. Unfortunately, much more research is needed to determine the best starling management practices for these particular settings. For instance, many communities around Evansville, Ind., have starling task forces that form harassment squads to chase the pest birds away from their cities and towns. Citizens set off fireworks, bang pans together and generally make as much noise as they can when starling flocks begin roosting in their towns in the evenings. This does not always work, however, and can be frustrating for those living beneath starling roost sites. Bird netting and shock track can reduce or eliminate starling roosts, but are often difficult to impossible to install at many roost sites. Additional starling control strategies include (ultra-low volume) fogging with methyl anthranilate (MA), noise-making devices, stress and predator call broadcasts and even lethal strategies. Each of these control strategies has its limitations that should be clearly understood by BMPs. Large flocks of European starlings are probably the toughest bird management situation. BMPs should be extremely cautious when making starling control recommendations and should clearly understand the limitations of each control type.
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