starlings and hawks
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Guest
i was wondering if martins are afraid of starlings and hawks. i saw a starling chasing a martin the other day.also i think i have a hawk problem. what can i do?
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Donnie Hurdt MN
- Posts: 1723
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 11:14 pm
- Location: North Prairie, MN
A lot of native birds will flee from starlings. When they move in an area most of the native birds will leave. Like many other people on this forum have noticed when the starlings are driven out of an area (like my yard) native birds will return. There is not much you can do legally about hawks unless you have time to stand in your yard constantly to scare them away. They soon get used to scarecrows.
PMCA member and Martin fanatic....
2011 A pair of subbies fledged three young but none returned in 2012
2015 One Pair of subbies came and stayed a few nits but got chased away by Bluebirds and Tree swallows.
2017 0ne pair of subbies nested and fledged 4 young
2018 Tree Swallows AGAIN chased away any martins that wanted to nest
2019 Same old story................
2011 A pair of subbies fledged three young but none returned in 2012
2015 One Pair of subbies came and stayed a few nits but got chased away by Bluebirds and Tree swallows.
2017 0ne pair of subbies nested and fledged 4 young
2018 Tree Swallows AGAIN chased away any martins that wanted to nest
2019 Same old story................
Mark... It would be helpful to know what kind of house or gourds you have up and where it is in relation to surrounding trees.
Starlings will kill or chase away your martins and cannot be tolerated. It is legal to shoot starlings any month of the year, there are a number of effective traps available. Plus there are types of nest entrance holes called starling resistant entry holes (SREH) that allow matins to get in but which make it very hard for starlings.
For the hawks, it depends on what kind of hawk you have. People often have Red-tailed Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks. If the hawk is big and easy to see, or if it screams a lot this time of year it is one of these. These hawks cannot catch martins.
The dangerous hawks are called Cooper's Hawks and the smaller Sharp-shinned Hawks. These are fast and sneaky, and often perch hidden in trees. Their attacks are very fast.
Even if you have one of these, it might be just passing through on migration and will soon be gone. The matins can be given more of a chance if they can see the hawk coming. That is why it is recommended that martin houses not be put up too close to trees.
Mike Scully
Starlings will kill or chase away your martins and cannot be tolerated. It is legal to shoot starlings any month of the year, there are a number of effective traps available. Plus there are types of nest entrance holes called starling resistant entry holes (SREH) that allow matins to get in but which make it very hard for starlings.
For the hawks, it depends on what kind of hawk you have. People often have Red-tailed Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks. If the hawk is big and easy to see, or if it screams a lot this time of year it is one of these. These hawks cannot catch martins.
The dangerous hawks are called Cooper's Hawks and the smaller Sharp-shinned Hawks. These are fast and sneaky, and often perch hidden in trees. Their attacks are very fast.
Even if you have one of these, it might be just passing through on migration and will soon be gone. The matins can be given more of a chance if they can see the hawk coming. That is why it is recommended that martin houses not be put up too close to trees.
Mike Scully
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CUL Lou~Mich
Mike. Like was said, most birds will leave the area when Starlings come in. There are two birds you can't allow around. English House Sparrows, and European Starlings. These two MUST be dealt with, or you'll lose the PMs, and other native birds. Once these two are dealt with the natives will return. I know. I get more new ones every year it seems like. I have traps, and also use a pellet gun on both these two bird scum. As for Hawks. Not a lot one can do legally, since they are protected. I've wondered if one could hold a water hose nozzle, then when one comes around, douse it good. Not even sure this would work. Thankfully, I don't see that many around my place, and I do spend quite a bit of time at the window, since it's right beside my computer. CUL Lou
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Guest
I have a neighborhood Cooper's that visits every day or so. Last year, I saw it get two or three martins. I'm certainly not happy about it but we need to keep things in perspective. First, they are handsome as all get out and something to watch, second, they are protected so they are not to be disturbed and third (and the best) is they have got to be excellent at thinning out starlings--slow, stupid and low flying; all characteristics in the hawks favor. So, we may occasionally loose a PM or other desireable bird to a hawk, but he does much good that also benefits our natives. Watch, enjoy....and hope he misses.
I only wish Cooper's preferentially took out starlings. Over the years I have seen Coops holding a starling exactly twice, this at a local roost of thousands of birds. I'm sorry, but to a Cooper's zooming in on your housing the martin surprised sitting on one house is likely a far easier target that is a starling on an adjacent house. That starling can be in full sprint in a heartbeat, and can dive for cover and run through it if pressed.
When caught too, starlings are able to fight back to some degree, and if the one's I have caught are any indication, no starling is likely to "go quietly into that goodnight" until its stone dead.
I'm to the point where I believe Accipiters are preferentially attracted to martin colonies, recognising them as especially vulnerable prey. One can only assume that, in the way-old days of hollow trees and old woodpecker holes, martin colnies were far smaller, far more scattered, and often way higher up than they commonly are today. Just as they still are out west.
On the other hand I love Cooper's AND Sharpies, their flight abilities are spectacular. And I have seen a Sharpie repeatedly attack a house sparrow roost in a local apartment complex over a number of weeks, occasionally flying of with a plaintively cheeping victim.
Mike Scully
When caught too, starlings are able to fight back to some degree, and if the one's I have caught are any indication, no starling is likely to "go quietly into that goodnight" until its stone dead.
I'm to the point where I believe Accipiters are preferentially attracted to martin colonies, recognising them as especially vulnerable prey. One can only assume that, in the way-old days of hollow trees and old woodpecker holes, martin colnies were far smaller, far more scattered, and often way higher up than they commonly are today. Just as they still are out west.
On the other hand I love Cooper's AND Sharpies, their flight abilities are spectacular. And I have seen a Sharpie repeatedly attack a house sparrow roost in a local apartment complex over a number of weeks, occasionally flying of with a plaintively cheeping victim.
Mike Scully