The starlings are non stop and brutal this year.
Usually I have a lot of time to trap them in advance of the Martins showing up. This year I have almost a dozen Martins while the starlings are still moving through and looking for a place to nest too.
I have a repeating trap with a counter balance but it has been hit or miss and I think something may be making it hang up.
In the mean time my old trusty starling trap just keeps getting them. It is an old kestrel house I modified. It has a very simple trigger. An old subfloor from a trio house is attached to a wire lever that holds up a weighted door stopper. They jump in and trigger the door stopper. Gets them every time. It's an absolute magnet too attached to an old chicken coop. I have never caught anything but a starling in it.
Here are a few photos of my starling magnet and the simple fake floor and mechanism. It has a removable plug on the lower right side. Once caught I remove plug and hold a large clear pretzel container over it. A few taps they're in. A quick shot of starter fluid and a closed lid puts them to sleep humanely. The top of the trap comes off with one screw to reset trap.
You can see the container and starter fluid can under the coop in the photo.
Simple & Effective Starling Magnet.
-
Doug Martin - PA
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:47 am
- Location: Pennsylvania/Fombell
- Martin Colony History: First pair in 2009 after 28 years of trying. 3 pairs 2010, 17 pairs 2011 and 35-45 pairs since. Many additional colonies are now springing up around mine in an area once completely void of Martins. I offer 50 compartments at my site consisting of primarily Excluder II gourds on Gemini racks. Also a wooden T-14. I utilize electric fence type predator guards on the base of the poles. Supplemental feeding is crucial in maintaining my colony. I platform feed throughout the season as needed. My site tends to be a stop over point for additional birds as they migrate further north.
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in Western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. The colony has grown quickly to 45 pairs that I care for. Many new colonies have now sprung up around me in the past few years as well. Where there was none.... there is many.
-
Doug Martin - PA
- Posts: 1988
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:47 am
- Location: Pennsylvania/Fombell
- Martin Colony History: First pair in 2009 after 28 years of trying. 3 pairs 2010, 17 pairs 2011 and 35-45 pairs since. Many additional colonies are now springing up around mine in an area once completely void of Martins. I offer 50 compartments at my site consisting of primarily Excluder II gourds on Gemini racks. Also a wooden T-14. I utilize electric fence type predator guards on the base of the poles. Supplemental feeding is crucial in maintaining my colony. I platform feed throughout the season as needed. My site tends to be a stop over point for additional birds as they migrate further north.
Ted,
If you look at the photo of the inside there is a rigid blue aluminum wire that runs through the subfloor. It then is bent and runs through 2 large staple nails that act as a pivot. The rigid wire then runs up to where it is bent on the end so it can support the piece steel bar that acts as a swinging weight attached to the to the roughly 3" x 8" x 1/4" wooden door stop. The door stop falls and lands on a screw you can see below the entrance hole. This blocks the way out.
So when the birds weight hits the subfloor it makes the blue wire come out from under the steel bar. The actual floor of the large nest box os a few inches below the subfloor you can see.
To reset the trap I lift the doorstop and weight and place the blue wire back under the weight. In the photo is is ready to go. You are looking down on everything. The entrance is closest to you in the photo.
Hope this helps.... I know it is not well illustrated. It is very crude but works so well.
If you look at the photo of the inside there is a rigid blue aluminum wire that runs through the subfloor. It then is bent and runs through 2 large staple nails that act as a pivot. The rigid wire then runs up to where it is bent on the end so it can support the piece steel bar that acts as a swinging weight attached to the to the roughly 3" x 8" x 1/4" wooden door stop. The door stop falls and lands on a screw you can see below the entrance hole. This blocks the way out.
So when the birds weight hits the subfloor it makes the blue wire come out from under the steel bar. The actual floor of the large nest box os a few inches below the subfloor you can see.
To reset the trap I lift the doorstop and weight and place the blue wire back under the weight. In the photo is is ready to go. You are looking down on everything. The entrance is closest to you in the photo.
Hope this helps.... I know it is not well illustrated. It is very crude but works so well.
Supplemental feeding plays a major role in Western Pennsylvania. Finally got my 1st pair in 2009 after 28 years of effort. The colony has grown quickly to 45 pairs that I care for. Many new colonies have now sprung up around me in the past few years as well. Where there was none.... there is many.
Yes, the Starling class of 2012 is a nasty one. They're big, oily, and won't take no for an answer! I've been using a 12 gauge on them when my wife goes off to work, but even then I have use some sort of blind to hunt them from. One glance of a human and they're gone. It's time consuming. Your trap would be good since they are checking out every bluebird house, wood duck box, and martin house they can find.
2016- 10 pair
2015-9 pair
2014-4 pair and a bluebird brood
2013- 9 pair
2012- 7 pairs - fledged 39 plus a bluebird brood in a gourd;
2011- 3 pairs - fledged 13 young:
2015-9 pair
2014-4 pair and a bluebird brood
2013- 9 pair
2012- 7 pairs - fledged 39 plus a bluebird brood in a gourd;
2011- 3 pairs - fledged 13 young:
There is a easy way to get stiff wire for traps. Almost any flexible wire will "work-harden" if stretched. I have done this with copper, iron, and aluminum wire. You wrap one end of your flexible wire around an immovable object and the other end on something that can serve as a holder (e.g. a short stick). Now you start pulling until you feel a sudden "give" and you can no-longer stretch the wire.
You now have a small diameter rod that is suitable for trap building. The work-hardening takes all of the bends out of the wire and orders the crystals. This will work with heavy wire but you will need to do the pulling with a vehicle. I use my tractor. I takes a little care with the tractor as it may actually pull the wire in two. You then will have two rods.
You now have a small diameter rod that is suitable for trap building. The work-hardening takes all of the bends out of the wire and orders the crystals. This will work with heavy wire but you will need to do the pulling with a vehicle. I use my tractor. I takes a little care with the tractor as it may actually pull the wire in two. You then will have two rods.
-
Dave Duit
- Posts: 2146
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2026, 88 pair with 333 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
This looks like a great set up. Over the summer I will build this trap at my location. Great job.