i didn't give up..but now i need advice!
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Guest
I have had a PM house or gourds or both up and ready for PM's for the last 5 years. The first few years were spent trying to get the tree swallows happy in a new location, the next few years were spent figuring out what housing to offer and at what height, and this year I finally have 2 ASY males and their mates nestbuilding. Who knows? They could just be more comfortable now that we have SOME tall pines to slow down any potential hawk attacks. Here's my question: I have a starling building in one of the gourds but I'm hesitant to mess around with SREH adaptations until after this season. Do you think that nest tear outs for this year will suffice? Thanks Becky Corbett, Sandy Spring, MD
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
You ask will starling nest removal be sufficient.
Certainly many large, unmanaged colonies have a few starlings in residence. But if starlings suddenly decide they want in the cavities now taken by your martins, they will kill the adults in just a few minutes time.
Some people have found that starlings will move on after removal of an active nest of their young, or maybe with eggs. But they will, like sparrows, keep replacing nest material that's torn out prior to eggs. I don't know if nest removal will make them move around to other holes. It does with sparrows, and it might with the starlings.
I'm sorry we don't have an easy answer. Starlings are just tough, dangerous birds to our native species. I don't get nearly as worried as some folks about house sparrows -- but starlings are lethal.
John Miller
Certainly many large, unmanaged colonies have a few starlings in residence. But if starlings suddenly decide they want in the cavities now taken by your martins, they will kill the adults in just a few minutes time.
Some people have found that starlings will move on after removal of an active nest of their young, or maybe with eggs. But they will, like sparrows, keep replacing nest material that's torn out prior to eggs. I don't know if nest removal will make them move around to other holes. It does with sparrows, and it might with the starlings.
I'm sorry we don't have an easy answer. Starlings are just tough, dangerous birds to our native species. I don't get nearly as worried as some folks about house sparrows -- but starlings are lethal.
John Miller