Starlings Kill!

Chriscreole · Sat Mar 12, 2011 10:45 am

Well I just witness a European Spotted Starling injure one of my ASY Males this morning. Even tho the Starling could not get in the room it managed to pull him half way out and hurt him anyway. It was over before I could lower the housing to rescue it. I removed him because the rest of my Martins were freaking out. I'm heading to Accadmy to pick up a pellett gun to seek MAJOR REVENGE!!!

My ASY died shortly after I was able to rescue him.

KathyF · Sat Mar 12, 2011 11:56 am

Very sad to hear that Chris.

Glad to hear you'll be taking aggressive action against the intruders. Surprising that the starling insisted on pulling him out even though the starling himself couldn't get into the nestbox. Looks like you're using SREH, so that's a good thing.

Grrrr, I hate those birds! Go get'em!

M.Stephens · Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:38 pm

You definitely going to need to trap or shoot them "devil" birds. Usually this time of year I see a few but I've been lucky so far. I said so far.

Tim Stover · Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:31 pm

this year i added alot of conley2 entrance and clinger but i'm still shooting and trapping a lot of starlings they are crazy this time of year

Chriscreole · Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:56 pm

After this incident I only have 1 pair left.

Can you post soe pic's of your Traps?

Tim Stover · Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:36 pm

here is the bottom of the trap couldn't find the whole picture just a box with a coffee can inside it best trap i ever seen got the plans off this forum somewhere repeating trap maybe someone will know where it is starling luv it so far i would say it has wiped out way over 100 starlings in the last two months plus what i shot they are still a lot of starlings i stay after them ever day

KathyF · Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:43 pm

Chris, Do a Google search for "Larry Melcher Starling Trap".

DakotaLady · Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:19 pm

Tim,

That looks like a very easy, inexpensive starling trap to make. I hope someone has the plans for it. I would like to make that trap also.

Kathy, I did google the traps Larry has plans for but I did not see a coffee can trap. He does have some interesting trap suggestions as well.

electraglideman · Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:30 pm

There are plans here for a repeating Starling trap

http://chuckspurplemartinpage.com/

Tim Stover · Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:38 am

i have this one also it is much harder to build coffee can trap out peforms this one 100 to 1 in catching starlings i will take pictures today of it and post them

Tim Stover · Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:26 am

here is afew pictures of the coffee can trap it will catch house sparrows too when bird goes in it just has to travel two inches down and they can't get out but one way also a picture of one with a fake floor wish i could find the plans pictures shows whole trap inside and back hope this helps

Don Strickland · Sun Mar 13, 2011 1:11 pm

Do a Google search for "Larry Melcher Starling Trap" to find the plans online.

Not really that easy to build, but if you have the patience and do it yourself skills, it can be done.....
I modified the pivot point (I didn't use a hinge), and built the box out of light sheet aluminum. I used material that I had on hand.
A sparrow, bluebird, starling, etc., will trip it, and it will reset once the bird escapes out the exit hole. "AND IT WORKS", IS THE MAIN THING.

Courtney-NC · Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:42 pm

Here is the one we built a few years back:

http://purplemartin.org/forumarchives/a ... wpage4.htm

It works great!

BumBee · Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:14 am

I made mine from a design on Chuck Abare's page.
http://www.chuckspurplemartinpage.com
and got to the "do it yourself" section on the left hand side of the page.
There, you will find:
build a repeating sparrow trap
build a repeating starling trap

Good luck

M.Stephens · Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:36 pm

Bumbee I made that sparrow trap and chickadees have been nesting in it.
I don't have a sparrow or starling problem so I just let them stay in it.

BumBee · Tue Mar 15, 2011 6:49 am

M,
I am surrounded by gas stations, conveient stores, grocery store and
fast food places. I have and will have S&S problem. That is why I have
a total of 7 repeating traps and they are monitored.

That is fantastic that they would use your trap house as their nesting site.

Courtney-NC · Tue Mar 15, 2011 7:00 am

That happened to me last year- the chickadees built a nest in my NBT. I didn't realize it until one day I found one of the adults in the bottom cage, dead! I guess the weight of the nest finally tipped it somehow. After that I made sure they had their own nestbox.

Matt@atx · Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:31 am

Darn Chris, Im bummed for you and its disconcerning that a Starling would be so aggressive like that to a grown adult Martin. I have seen and heard of them killing Martin adults and babies when they get in the gourd but pulling one out to hurt it is something else. I beleive you live in my region too.

we have the sparrow problem as always and have just purchased a Beeman barrel break SS1000 air rifle with scope.. I hope to sight in the scope this week and reach out and touch these sparrows at 1000 fps.
I going to try and get mom when she comes out in the morning with her coffee to grab a chair and table on or close to the porch and snipe Sparrows... lol... She should be able to scan nearby brush and trees through the scope for them as well. The mom Sparrow Sniper since I don't live there. hahahaaa
I hope you get rid of those Starlings Chris. What a vicious bird. Plus there is much time to pick up more birds yet still....

Chriscreole · Tue Mar 15, 2011 10:05 pm

Looks like you have been a succusful landlord there Mat@atx, yep your right down the road. I hit Cabellas ALOT I'm new at this and learning alot, I just posted another thread on nest materials, I'm really confused.