Aggravating Starlings

[Muffen02]

Does anyone know how I can get rid of these aggravating starlings? I’m not a very good shooter and I keep missing.

[CTMartins]

While it isnt their fault they're here due to a stupid human long ago but they can be a pain. I find when I play my martin songs on a 20w speaker they seem to feel the invisible Martin population is to much and leave. You can also get a sparrow trap and transport them. If the population is large they are better prey items for hawks then martins.

[Jones4381]

Does anyone know how I can get rid of these stupid starlings? I’m not a very good shooter and I keep missing.

SREH openings is the best deterrent and don't feel bad Starlings are difficult to hit.

[Muffen02]

They don’t seem to be bothering the Martins as of now. But I’m afraid of them doing it later on. What do you think?

[C.C.Martins]

If you think its a problem, or could be, then it probably is. All it takes is that starling to want the cavity, get in and its over for the martin. Wouldnt stand a chance.

[Spiderman]

If they are Troyer gourds their is a trap you can buy to catch them in the gourd.

Van Ert makes a great trap that starlings can’t resist, just mount it on a pole near your Martin housing at the same height.

I usually set the van Ert trap up around February 1st and catch most of the starlings before the Martins arrive.

[Muffen02]

Thank y’all so much. I’m going to check into that Van Ert trap. I have 18 Martins this year. I only had 4 last year. I’m so excited. I don’t want anything to happen to them. They are such a joy to watch and listen to.

[chickadee]

Starlings really should never be a problem. Especially if you have crescent entrances. Sometimes there may be one or two each year figure out to get in. But then there is great trap boxes made just for them that work. It’s the sparrows you have to worry about more than anything. Atleast in 15 years having martins that’s been the case here. Trap and shoot is the only thing you can do for the trash birds.

[flyin-lowe]

I may have missed it somewhere but have you mentioned what kind of entrance you have? My experience has been that SREH stop 99.9% of all starlings. If they can't get in they are not really a threat to the martins. It is when they trap a martin inside of a cavity that they are most dangerous. I have huge starling populations in my immediate area and in the last 15 or so years I have only had 1 starling breach and SREH. It was easy to trap because once they get in a cavity they claim it quickly. If you don't have SREH that is where I would start. If you have SREH and they are getting in, take some pictures of your set up, possibly the porches are too low or something. If you have SREH and they are not getting in, and you are just concerned because they are trying to get in don't worry too much. They give up and move on pretty quickly.

[Muffen02]

This is pictures of my houses.

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[Muffen02]

I just added the gourds this year. No Martins have taken to them yet. The Martin house has 12 Martins in it and I have one other house (no pictures) that has round holes. I have 6 Martins in it.

[flyin-lowe]

Those are all SREH (starling resistant entry holes) so they "should" keep almost all the starling out. it is possible this time of year you are seeing a lot of starlings trying to get in, but almost none of them should be able to. Other than overall being a nuisance, the starlings aren't really a direct threat to your martins if they can't get in. I think you will find within a few weeks they will give up and move on. After the first few weeks of the season I no longer see starlings trying to get in my housing. Occasionally there are starlings smaller than normal who can squeeze in. Do you see starlings getting into your housing or just trying to squeeze in?

If you can take a picture of the house with round holes. Depending on the make, there may be new doors you can put on with SREH. If not you can buy some plastic SREH plates to screw over the round holes. You will likely have to enlarge the round holes so they are larger than the SREH opening.

[Conrad Baker]

I think early in the season, some starlings might be a little undersized (haven't completely grown), and can breach the SREH. I had one last year, and saw him struggling to get in. I was ready with the pellet rifle when he was struggling to get out. He was slowed down enough that I could get a shot on him. Later on in the season as they have gotten a little bigger, I think less can breach the SREH. This is another reason to open your S&K compartments to double the size (if you have S&K). If the compartments are only 6 X 6, the starlings can reach in and pluck the babies out of the nest without having to get into the compartment.

[Muffen02]

Flyin-Iowa, here is the picture of the house with the round wholes. I did see one starling squeeze into my gourd house. I covered them back up for a little while. I have opened them back up now. There is a pair of starlings that kept coming back so I put a rat glue trap in it and one must have got caught on it , it didn’t hold. I hadn’t seen them try to get in anymore. I have took them out now. I seen one Martin checking the Entrance in the gourds this morning but didn’t try to go in.

[Jim 1990]

i Have been using the S & S controller trap and open it up when the starlings begin to nest . It is a magnet for starling's . I have trapped 10 starlings in 1 day. I do have a couple that do hang around the martins trying to get in and usually they give up on resistance entrances and go to the S &S controller I did have a smaller starling get in a crescent entrance i changed the entrance to a modified i use a fold up blind with a sawhorse and sock filled with sand to rest my hand and pellet rifle on and wait for the starlings and HS to come and land works pretty good . i do monitor the trap as tree swallows have been trapped,

[Muffen02]

What kind of food do you put in the trap?