A quick way to kill starlings

[Scully]

Here ya go Matt, first a demo of the importance of the tail in male house sparrow displays.

This here is a pic taken some years back of a male sparrow attempting to intimidate a purple martin out of a gourd....



When clipping the tail, my intent is to change the profile of the bird such that other sparrows might not even recognize it as a house sparrow, to that end the undertail coverts go too.





I clip the tail feathers down to the quills right at the patagium (looks like the hind end of a turkey in miniature). It is important not to actually pluck the feathers as the body of the sparrow would then "know" the feathers had been lost and grow new ones. Leaving the cut bases of the feathers in place avoids this, and the short quill bases will not be replaced until the Fall moult.

Mike Scully

[Scully]

I just tried this method on a trapped sparrow. Skull is fragile, crushed massively and easily under pressure an easy and fast one-handed technique. Instant incapacitation and certain brain-death of course, but much fluttering and some continued breathing for a few moments akin to a decapitated chicken for those familiar with such things.

Not in this case as overtly neat and surgically instantaneous as one would like.

Mike Scully

[Leandortree]

Mike Scully,
I use your one handed technique now, It works well for me, tidy, and instantaneous! Thanks for the tip.

[MamaBruff]

Mr Scully,

I have used your method on the last 4 starlings I removed from my traps. Although I do not have the grip strength a man would have, I was able to accomplish it rather quickly and neatly. I now prefer it to cervical dislocation. However, I do squeeze the bird tightly in my hand as I walk to the back porch, so it is unconscious before I dispatch it.... I just hate this S&S "chore". Yuck. It's the worst, but I know the one most important thing I can do for the native birds on my property.... Nature wastes nothing, so the S&S go to an area by the back fence of my property, where they become food for other animals....

It is unfortunate that you are not able to teach the kids about the environmental responsibility of what you are doing. Why not become affiliated with a Raptor Program? I know they take some of their non-releaseable birds to public places for demo... how about your school? The kids would probably think it's very cool to see an eagle that you had a hand in feeding!

I would like to also agree with the others about tail clipping. It is illogical. I would think it would take less time to dispatch a HOSP than to clip it. One less HOSP to deal with next spring. Just my opinion.


Love, Peace, Sunshine, Birdsong, and Sparkles...

Mary

[Don Strickland]

Had a pair of Sparrows building a nest in my BB House this morning.
I tried to clip the male's tail feathers but the bullet went a little high. Ooooops!! He won't be bringing in any more nesting material.
Don

[MamaBruff]

Touche', Don! Your method is by far the fastest!

[Don Strickland]

Mama,
I worked in Joplin once, years and years ago. I was working Telegraphers vacations up and down the Kansas City Southern RR Lines, between DeQueen, Ark, and Joplin, Mo. Years and years is approximately 50 years ago. Wow! How time flies.
Don

[MamaBruff]

Sorry "off topic" but must tell Don something...
Don,
You wouldn't recognize Joplin, esp now after the tornado. The cleanup and rebuilding is moving right along. All the same, it is good to be south of town on a small acreage! Thanks,
Mary

[Don]

I don't believe in crippling sparrow or starlings. I also disagree that handling the pest problem is sensitive at schools. Haul your lazy a** to the site between 4 AM and 8 AM and you will find very few observers for any technique you use.

For the people who release the pests at a "nice place in the country" I live at a nice place in the country and don't want your pests any more than I want your puppies, kittens, or garbage.

It is not pleasant killing pests but don't compromise your values.

[Scully]

I don't believe in crippling sparrow or starlings. I also disagree that handling the pest problem is sensitive at schools. Haul your lazy a** to the site between 4 AM and 8 AM and you will find very few observers for any technique you use.

Might I use this emoticon without causing offense?

: :

Left school last night at 9:00pm after working with martins 'till dark, got here at 6:30am to observe same martins at dawn Not much going on that I can do with martins at 4am. Although I did do that 24 hour water sampling project with a kid earlier this year that had us out round the clock (sampling every three hours). So its always something.

OTOH, I get like three months total vacation each year so I suppose it all balances out.

Sparrows are not "crippled", merely deprived of their tail feathers, a not-uncommon occurrence with wild birds. Starlings, on the rare occasion that we have to I just killed 'em. Especially using that one handed skull-crushing technique I can kill them even inside the trap gourd, pretty much in just a couple of seconds. Both the starling and the sparrow I killed this week were dispatched during the school day during passing periods, no one the wiser.

As for the lethal control issues in a public setting, perhaps your schools are different.

OF COURSE I could kill and lie about it, but I believe telling the truth has value, especially in a educational setting. When I DID kill and talk about it, that is all the kids talked about, rather than all the many issues and facets martin-keeping can teach about.

Your mileage may vary.....

Mike Scully

[Matt F.]

Mike,
Your doing great work there.
The vast number of kids you are introducing to, and getting involved with, Purple Martins - past/present/future, is awesome.
You are definitely planting seeds that are going to result in many future, wonderful, Purple Martin landlords.
In addition to all that, you have, and continue to, perform very valuable field research, that provides extremely beneficial data to all of us in the Martin community.
I hope your able to make some more surrounding area colony recon runs this season....
Not everyone understands your situation.
And very few would have been able to make it the huge success, that you've made it.

[DebA]

Well Mike, while your lazy a** was at school til 9 and back at 630...my LAZIER a** went to bed at 9 last night and didn't wake up until 645.

Keep up the dedication. You are amazing. I treasure different ideas shared on this forum. I don't treasure the judgements sometimes. Well most of the time. I think we can be supportive, suggestive, informative without being...mean. I am not known as a shy person, however in large social situations I can be. I read this forum a long time before jumping in. I wonder how many people out there shyer than me hold back a quesiton because they worry about judgement or disapproval. That's too bad. A great example is how Mama B stated what she thinks, and why without skewering anybody.

And following her lead...glitter, rainbows, puppies, flowers, and purple martins!

[Vern1]

I use CO2 from a paintball gun.
I put an on/off valve on top of the tank with a short piece of hose.
With the EHS or Starling in the house, put the hose in a hole and turn on the CO2 a little.
You can see the CO2 escaping from other holes.
Leave it on slowly for about a minute and then take the hose out.
Let it sef for a few and open house and remove dead bird.
No blood, no fluttering, etc.
Nice if there are a pair in there and you get both with one treatment.

Leaves no residue and dissipates in just a few minutes.

Works well on larger animals also...just stuff trap in a large garbage bag and let them have it.

Need pictures?

[MamaBruff]

Thank you Deb! Perhaps our rogue poster should review the sticky note regarding forum etiquette. Don't let him ruin your day.

We all know there are many, many ways to accomplish a goal. Each way suits the individual, and none of the ways are inherently "wrong" if the same goal is successfully achieved. We should be able to discuss these ideas freely and learn from each other.

After all, Mr. Scully IS quite successfully raising/protecting Purple Martins! (and admirably teaching children about them!) Isn't THAT why we are here? The sharing of individual ideas here on the forum has helped me so much to prepare and maintain my site for the glorious day I am graced with a royal pair. I deeply appreciate the support, encouragement, and advice as I strive for this goal.

Mary

[chickadee]

I am a 34 year old young woman that is a animal lover nature lover and couldn't hurt a fly type of girl. I do not discriminate even relocate snakes and coons. but when I did research on these headache taking over the planet birds....... I get my car keys start the car put them in a Kruger sack and take them to the tail pipe. you can clip these birds they will not fly into a car or starve to death. they are survivors. for the sake of my five year old we clipped a starling once like no wings. that was 40 days ago. he is under my pine tree so fat he cant walk. I have 2 outdoor cats a house over. he wont die. and I had a sparrow sit on a box singing all season one year. he was clipped. my wheaten terrier had a starling in his mouth running around with it. I yelled he let goof it I walked up kicked it it flew off. it played dead. they are smart. kill them all. don't learn the hard way. if I can do it anyone can. people who know me can not believe i do it. but they do not know what I do about these birds.