Starling and Sparrow control for new and wannabe landlords

[Brad Biddle]

New and aspiring landlords, please read this, all the way to the end.

I see this topic discussed time after time, year after year, decade after decade. What you’re about to read may upset you. It may make you angry. That is not the intent of this post. It really isn’t. My intent is for landlords and hopeful landlords to re-evaluate their stance on Starling and Sparrow control. What you’re about to read isn’t sugar coated. I don’t consider it to be an opinion, I consider it to be cold, hard facts.
The question: Can a good landlord be an effective Purple Martin, Bluebird, or Tree Swallow “landlord” without killing House Sparrows (HOSP) and/or Starlings (EUST)?

The simple answer: No you can’t.

Here’s the long and short of it. Both EUST and HOSP are non-native species. They were both introduced by “old world” British immigrants who missed seeing the birds they had in their old homeland. Little did they know how much damage their actions would cause.
EUST and HOSP both have strong, powerful beaks. The native cavity nesters that we invite into our back yards are no match for these brutal alien invaders.

Every year I see reports of Martins and HOSP peacefully co-existing in the same housing. That assumption is short sighted and incorrect. There is no “peaceful” coexistence between Martins and HOSP. If HOSP and Martins are living in your Martin housing, your Martins are living on borrowed time. Your Martin eggs and nestlings are in danger 24/7. All it takes to enrage a male HOSP and send it into a killing frenzy is one careless SY entering his cavity, or perhaps even landing in front of his nest hole on his house, or on his gourd. Have you ever seen what a male HOSP can do to another bird? They will peck the head of the other bird until they kill it. They do not peck it once as a warning, they peck their head until the bird is dead. They peck the eggs, or kill the nestlings and usually the female Martin, Bluebird, or Tree Swallow that stays in the nest defending her babies. Would you defend your children with your life? Absolutely you would. That momma bird is no different. If landlords allow HOSP to nest in their Martin housing, their colony is in decline whether they realize it or admit it or not. If one pair of HOSP is allowed to nest this year, they will attract more. Next year there will be 2-3 pair, 5 the next, then 10. It’s a never ending cycle that I’ve seen played out over and over and over. Just drive around your area and see how many Martin houses are now nothing more than HOSP hotels. They’re everywhere.

I’ve read reports on the this forum the past 2 years where Starlings have killed Martins who were not even inside a cavity. They just killed them for sitting on “their” gourd rack or “their” house.
Within the past decade, most people who have Starling problems use SREH of some sort on their Martin housing. That’s great! So is killing Starlings still part of being a responsible landlord? Absolutely. If they can’t get into your Martin housing, what do they hurt? They hurt all those other native cavity nesters that we all enjoy seeing. So to be a good steward to all cavity nesting birds, they need to be trapped and/or shot as often as possible.

In closing…..
As a landlord, or hopeful landlord, you are faced with only two real options. Landords can kill them, or not. I read about people “clipping” the primary feathers on their wings. In reality, this is a half-hearted attempt to kill a bird. It elicits the “out of sight, out of mind” mindset. Most people aren’t going to trim the feathers short enough that the bird can’t fly. If they can fly, they can eat and reproduce. If by chance you do trim the feathers short enough that the bird can’t fly, you just signed that birds’ death warrant. Instead of it being a quick and relatively painless death, it is now going to be a slow, most likely agonizing, drawn out affair. By trimming its flight feathers, you’ve now created cat bait. Death by cat isn’t as humane as death by cervical dislocation, blunt force trauma to the head, or the use of “Starting Fluid”/ Ether.
Some landlords chose to trap them and “relocate” them. What purpose does that serve? They are just forcing their problems on someone else. That helps nothing, other than giving the landlord a warm fuzzy feeling that he/she is being a good steward of wildlife. While you may be helping the birds nesting in your back yard, by relocating the HOSP or Starlings, you are being an irresponsible landlord. If you found a bag of illegal drugs in your yard, would you properly dispose of it, or would you take it 200 miles away and put it in someone else’s yard? (I know we’d probably all call the cops if that happened, but you see my point)

Now that you’ve read my lengthy post, I hope I’ve inspired aspiring and current landlords to take an active role in eliminating these non-native pests. If you’ve made it this far and still stand by your opinion that you just are not or “can’t” kill EUST/HOSP, then please take this point into consideration. If a landlord isn’t part of the solution, they are part of the problem. If someone can’t just force themselves to kill a non-native, invasive bird that kills our beloved native species, please do all the native cavity nesters in your area (and the responsible landlords who try to do it right) and take the housing down, and take up another hobby.

It really is just that simple.

[Lewis]

I agree Brad. Being a Martin landlord reguires a degree of responsibility. The martin is unique in that it does rely on man for it's habitat. Without it the species would disappear or become extinct in North America. I don't think Audubon or Cornell gives the credit we deserve for protection of the species. WE are not birders so to speak we are a lot more involved than that in the Purple Martin story.

Lewis

[Bird Brain]

I couldn't have said it better myself. I've only one thing to add. English sparrows and European starlings along with rock pigeons are NOT protected by federal or state laws. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act excludes these 3 species specifically from protection. Even the government disapproves of these 3 species. That means you can and should eradicate as many of these pests as possible. It's no different than treating a fire ant mound.

http://wildlifecontroltraining.com/wild ... protected/

Relocating the pest may be illegal. It also doesn't work. Birds have a great sense of direction. It will be back before you can pull into your driveway.

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Brad,
You said what I wanted to say for years but my writing is inadequate to express what you summarized so eloquently.

Either be a responsible purple martin landlord or take down the housing and donate it to a dedicated, caring landlord.
I have lost count of the abandoned purple martin housing that is completely invaded by English Sparrows and/or European Starlings.
If a home owner contacts me, then I will take down any housing which is inappropriately placed or neglected by a homeowner who wants the housing gone.
On rare occasions, I find a purple martin house which is perfectly placed but the homeowner has no idea how to maintain a purple martin colony. Those rare individuals can become exceptional martin landlords. They generally are hooked for life at the joy purple martins bring to their home. In one particular neighborhood, it has become a blessing for all of the neighbors. When I drop by to visit that neighborhood, people come out to give me a report of what the martins have been doing since I last visited.

[Brad Biddle]

Mark, in full disclosure, I sent it to Kathy Freeze to let her read it before I posted it on FB and on here. She helped me by suggesting to take some "You" words out and replace them with less inflammatory words. I'm real good at making things sound harsh and I'm a good instigator. She helped curb that some. :D

[Black Jack]

You are 100% right on Brad. Do not even begin to think these 2 can live peacefully along said birds in your statement. I have seen first hand how English house sparrows will destroy a Bluebird nest and run the Bluebird away. I am retired and have plenty of time to monitor my Martins and Bluebirds. Now i have a pr. of tree swallows also to look after. I haven't seen a English sparrow on my property in 5yrs. I still have some Starlings blasting thru at times especially in Feb. and March. I purge them before they can get a foot in the door.

[Kegger]

I agree Brad, this being my 1st year at this. so far I have trapped more than I have shot hosp. Starlings abit larger target especially 2 lined up worked for me. My wife hates it, but she likes the Martins better. She has not fed them probably for at least a month. This alone cut back
the hosp population. At first I thought the hosp could not enter a conley 2 . I was wrong because after closing up my house they went
for the 2 gourds. Swiped a few pine straw pieces, but have not harmed eggs or young ones. Thanks to the Martins who kicked up their
securing airspace around their home. I hope to open a few cavities when fledging is done. Hosps can be sneaky.

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Kegger,
Unfortunately, any entrance large enough to allow a purple martin to enter and exit is even easier for an English House Sparrow (really a Weaver Finch by categorization).
The entrance which excludes a Purple Martin and allows HOSP is 1.25".
This link is from the Sialis.org website, "Hole Size Entry Tests":

http://www.sialis.org/holesizetests.htm

For all individuals who are going to remind everyone that other native bird species can enter a 1.25" hole, well thank you. That is also a known fact. This post is not about trapping HOSP.