Starling Reductions @ Colony Site ( any ideas )
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Dan Clodfelter
- Posts: 62
- Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2007 2:25 pm
- Location: Indiana/Brazil
I want to know if anyone has ever noticed a massive reduction in starlings at a colony of Purple Martins and not know why ? For years now whenever I would put up my Martin homes I would notice what I call a starling war would start around March 15 and go for @ least 30 -40 days. During this period I would put to rest by trapping or shooting 300-500 starlings per years 30-40 day period ( EACH YEAR ) ! This year( I'm not complaining though) I cant even beg a starling to stop @ my colony . I have changed a few things of mention but dont know if it's got anything to do with the reduction or not. I have taken down my T-14 starling magnet and went to all gourds with most of the gourds having Conley 2 tunnels and the gourds that dont have Conley 2 tunnels have " NO" tunnel or porch on them @ all. My entire colony consist of all gourds except for a TRIO Castle . The Trio Castle I left with round holes and I do get a rare sparrow to land on the porch of it , but he gets put to rest when I see him. One more change ( THIS YEAR ) that I have not had in other years is , I have never had so big of a Purple Martin return early as I have in this year ! Does the number of Martins that have returned early ( around 100 so far ) keep the war from even getting started @ all ? I have a friend that has a martin colony 5 miles from me and he is wondering the same thing . I also went to another martin colony today around 3 miles from me to check his v-top trap and see if he was catching any starlings. The v-top trap had one dead starling in it and had around 24 cowbirds alive in it . I would like to have any suggestions on this and would hope to get an idea from EMIL on this . Thanks
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DornCounty
- Posts: 2169
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:58 pm
- Location: Rural SE Kansas
- Martin Colony History: .
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Trio-Jedi
I have read that large martin colonies can keep the starlings run off pretty well.
2017 - Home & Public Colonies - 300 Cavities
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
I have no solid reason for the martins returning early except that we had a warm winter. About the number of martins, we fill up every year so its hard to comment on that.
I try to put up all the gourds about 3 weeks before the martins arrive. We had large numbers of starlings and sparrows when my neighbor and I starting trapping, but the numbers went way down about the 2nd or 3rd year. Now we get the normal number nearly every year, meaning we are getting the reduced number, and not nearly as many as the first year of trapping. Looks like we have them thinned out near our homes. I do not think that martins are able to run of sparrows and starlings. They dive at them when they first show up, but to actually run them off, they cannot run off a pair of the scum birds. When I was shooting at them this weekend, I noticed that the martins would move when the starlings got close to them.
About the starlings and sparrows, they come about 2 to 3 weeks before the martins arrive, so I try to trap and shoot as many as possible early in the season. When the martins show up in large numbers, the S&S are brooding their eggs, so they do not bother us much. Then we get a 2nd wave when our martins are brooding their eggs, so this 2nd wave of S&S are here at our place right now. I open the traps about 6 weeks before the martins arrive, and the do catch some starlings very early.
For instance, I didn't see any starlings for about 2 weeks, then this weekend I shot 3 of them, they are actively looking for nestboxes right now again.
I try to put up all the gourds about 3 weeks before the martins arrive. We had large numbers of starlings and sparrows when my neighbor and I starting trapping, but the numbers went way down about the 2nd or 3rd year. Now we get the normal number nearly every year, meaning we are getting the reduced number, and not nearly as many as the first year of trapping. Looks like we have them thinned out near our homes. I do not think that martins are able to run of sparrows and starlings. They dive at them when they first show up, but to actually run them off, they cannot run off a pair of the scum birds. When I was shooting at them this weekend, I noticed that the martins would move when the starlings got close to them.
About the starlings and sparrows, they come about 2 to 3 weeks before the martins arrive, so I try to trap and shoot as many as possible early in the season. When the martins show up in large numbers, the S&S are brooding their eggs, so they do not bother us much. Then we get a 2nd wave when our martins are brooding their eggs, so this 2nd wave of S&S are here at our place right now. I open the traps about 6 weeks before the martins arrive, and the do catch some starlings very early.
For instance, I didn't see any starlings for about 2 weeks, then this weekend I shot 3 of them, they are actively looking for nestboxes right now again.
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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Peggy Riley
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:21 pm
- Location: TX/Tolar
I've got sparrows here again. They disappeared in Jan. but I guess they have fledged a brood. Trapped a pair and another showed up. Both seem to be young males as the throat patch is small.
I know that constant trapping does reduce the numbers when kept up year round. I have few starlings or sparrows anymore. Even though I have little trouble it gets my blood pressure up when I see one around the poles.
Peggy
I know that constant trapping does reduce the numbers when kept up year round. I have few starlings or sparrows anymore. Even though I have little trouble it gets my blood pressure up when I see one around the poles.
Peggy
PMCA Member
2017 101 pair
2017 101 pair