The common starling, or “plain-old starling” as we say in the United Kingdom, is a stunning avian species. Although the European Starling may win a beauty contest, the African Starling’s iridescent feathers make it the clear winner. Of course, cuteness persists despite this. You’ll be impressed by their nesting practices if you think their plumage is neat.
Starlings prefer to nest in enclosed areas because it provides a safe and secure environment for their offspring. Trees with preexisting holes or cavities work great for this purpose. Starlings, however, have adapted to the point where they will nest in occupied buildings, in places like walls. During the early phases of nesting, the birds will likely be quite quiet, making it easy to miss their presence. In reality, the new starling extension is generally reported to the owner by a neighbour who sees the birds returning to their nest.
Nesting habits
They don’t set up and defend a real territory, just the region around the nesting chamber, and they nest in loose colonies. The entire colony shares food within a defined territory called a “home range.”
The male will dig a hole and line it with dried grass and leaves, then perch nearby and sing to attract a female. The nest is finished by the female, who constructs a cup from nesting material and lines it with fine grasses, moss, and feathers.
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To woo potential mates, males typically select the nesting location. Usually, a building (keep an eye out for them in the fixtures that hold up lamps and traffic signals), an old woodpecker hole, or a nest box provides the necessary hollow for the nesting birds. Burrows and cliffs are two of the other places where starlings will occasionally set up houses. The average height of a nesting cavity is between 10 and 25 feet, but they can reach heights of up to 60 feet.
Nest Description
Before mating occurs, the male starling starts constructing the nest by stuffing the cavity with grass and pine needles, as well as feathers, rubbish, linen, and twine. At the cavity’s back, there’s a depression where the cup is constructed and lined with feathers, fine bark, leaves, and grass. Women have the final say over the arrangement, and they may choose to remove some of the elements that men included. During the whole nesting time, but especially while the eggs are being laid and incubated, starlings will add new, live plants to the nest. A nest can be constructed in as little as one to three days. Each gender takes turns tending to the eggs while they develop.
When do starlings nest?
Midway through April is when starlings begin laying their clutches of four to six eggs.
Where there is one starling, there are likely to be a large number of others nearby since starlings form colonies. Every single female in the colony will start laying eggs within a span of a few days. It’s like they’re in sync or something! Approximately 12 days post-egg-landing, the chicks will emerge from their shells.
When do starlings leave their nests?
Starlings typically only stay in the nest for around 5-6 weeks. Around the second week of April, the eggs begin to arrive, and they hatch about a week later. After another three weeks of dad jokes, the baby starlings finally leave.
How long do starlings nest for?
Starlings will use any opening that provides access to a suitable cavity, regardless of its size. Home appliances and bathrooms benefit greatly from exhaust vents. Having a metal flap over a vent may not deter them, since they can hover or perch while lifting the flap to gain access. Nests inside vents can prevent them from doing their job. This is sometimes dangerous and oftentimes inconvenient. Nesting materials may require quick removal.
Occasionally, juvenile starlings become trapped when they fall into vents. This could be especially true for kitchen appliances like microwaves and range hoods. Because removing the hood or microwave may be necessary to free a starling stuck in one of these openings, you may wish to seek expert assistance.
Problems with Starling Nests
The nesting territories of native species including woodpeckers, bluebirds, and swallows are frequently taken over by aggressive starlings during the breeding season. Most starlings roost in big groups after their young have flown the nest. There are so many birds that the noise they make all at once is deafening.
It’s not just sparrows that can be a nuisance to homeowners; starling nests can do the same. Even if you get rid of an ugly nest, that doesn’t mean the birds will stop returning. Starlings may completely rebuild their nests in a matter of hours, and they are known to destroy window screens in their quest for a suitable location. When the bugs return and rebuild their nests in inconvenient places, such as gutters or vents, the situation worsens.
Do starlings return to the same nest?
Starlings do, in fact, repeatedly use the same nesting site. Another courting couple may use the same nesting place if it is still accessible even if they may not use the exact same nest as the previous year. There is a high probability of having another starling invasion if you’ve already experienced one. When the starlings are done having a good time in your wall, you should clean up their nesting materials and then seal up the hole. This will prevent them from coming back to your house the next year. The starling colony will return and you can continue to admire them, but they will no longer make your wall their home.
