Starling resistent crescents

[phldave]

Sure glad I built crescents into my martin house. Starlings have just started looking for nesting sites up hear in Iowa. I really enjoy watching those butcher birds try to get into my house with no luck. I caught one of them in the repeating trap I built into my shed yesterday. I'm about to start trapping the HOSP that are claiming compartments. Sure hope the weather staightens out soon. Hopefully some martins will move in this year.

[CraigMo.]

Crescents makes life so much less worrisome especially when you have to go to work all day. My traps just started working this week. It seems the scumbeaks come in spurts

Craig

[fzelch]

I have switched all of the round holes to a SREH. I use crescent and excluder II. I love to watch the Starlings as them go nuts trying to get in them. I had to raise my porches up flush with the bottom of the crescent opening using a small wood block to keep the starlings out. Starlings have learned to navigate the crescent opening by turning sideways. Having the porch flush with the crescent opening has stopped that at least at my location. I have a starling trap box with a 2" round hole, but for some reason the starlings still would rather attempt to go in the martin compartments.

[Craig Dyer]

I too have had great success with crescent entrance holes. Whether the bottom of the crescent is flush with the porch or not, crescents do the trick. Early every season I watch starlings struggle in vain to breach the crescents. They usually move on discouraged. Only occasionally does one manage to squeeze in. Once that happens the air rifle ends the attempt to nest...for good!