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Starling Talk
Care and Rehabilitation of Injured and
Orphaned Starlings


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Frequently Asked Questions
From my Starling Talk Message Board



Prairie dog and starling photo by Rhonda at Wildlifephotography
Photo courtesy of Rhonda

Can We Share?

This was taken at the St. Louis Zoo and was just amazing to watch. Every time the prairie dog would pick up a piece of food the starling would take it, and the funniest thing is the prairie dog never minded one bit. He would just pick up another piece. The starling never finished any of the stolen pieces because he kept getting new ones even if he had to drop the last piece he took to get a new one. Neither the prairie dog nor the starling was tame. ~ by Rhonda




FAQ Contents:

Click on any topic title in the following list, or simply scroll down to read them all.

Does this bird need help?

Should I keep it or let it go?

Will starling droppings give me a disease?

Questions about nutrition

Do starlings need grit?

Can I give my starling earthworms?

Where can I get insect food for my starling?

How did starlings get here?

How do I get rid of starlings?

Names used for Starlings in other countries

Flock names of starlings and other birds

 

Does this bird need help?

If the birds have all their feathers then they are fledglings and were ready to leave the nest. They need to be on the ground a day or two as they learn to fly. The parents will take care of them, and it isn't true that if you touch a baby bird the parents will abandon it. Unfeathered babies can be returned to the nest. If the nest has been destroyed, you can make a new one using something such as a parrot nest box and wire; nail it close to where the original one was. You should put fully feathered babies in a bush or on a tree limb, and they should be just fine. You might want to ask any cat owning neighbors to keep the cats in for a day or two to give the baby birds a chance to learn how to fly. -- by Jackie

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Should I keep it or let it go?

In order for a bird raised in captivity to have a good chance for survival, it must be raised in such a manner to provide the best chance for it to remain "wild" during the time when it is most vulnerable to learning such behavior. For rehabilitators whose goal is to return birds to the wild, every attempt is made to provide baby birds with a captive environment that is conducive to release. This includes never raising one bird by itself, having as little contact as possible with the bird (except, of course, when feeding!), not holding the bird when feeding it (unless absolutely necessary), and keeping young birds in a place where they can always view the outdoors (and ideally, hear the outdoors as well.) As hard as it may seem to understand, birds are learning from everything they see, hear and feel from the time they hatch. What they learn during the first month of life determines a lot! In my opinion, a starling's first month of life is roughly the human equivalent of 12 years.

About release: In my experience, most people who have raised a wild bird release them at the wrong time (too soon) or in the wrong manner. How a bird is released is just as important to its survival as how you've raised it and what type of nutrition it has had. A bird should be a minimum of six weeks old before being released. A young bird should be eating completely on its own for at least two weeks (in my opinion) prior to release. A bird should be outside in the largest cage possible (ideally, an aviary) for at least a week before it is released. It should be able to return safely to that cage or aviary for food and water until it is self-sufficient in the wild which could take days, weeks or months.

Hunting/foraging is a natural instinct, but there are so many behaviors necessary for survival that young birds are taught by their parents, and the parent birds can teach those things far better than we can!

There is a difference between being "tame" and being "imprinted". No matter, because if a bird is raised alone from the time he's got no feathers, even if not truly 'imprinted' (which you cannot know for sure until the bird is a mature adult,) he will probably be too tame to survive in the wild, in my opinion!

If birds could talk, we'd know the answers to what would make them the "happiest." I don't think anyone can know with certainty the answers to some questions. That is why I suggest the following to you when you first acquire the baby: Decide right now if you are able to make the commitment to have your starling as a "pet" for potentially up to 15 years! Decide now if you want the starling for a pet, or if you want it to be released.

If you want it to be released -- find a wildlife organization/rehabilitator to give him to. The baby must grow up with other birds in just the right environment/setting, with specific stimuli necessary for the bird to be "wild".

If you want to keep him --the bird's behavior as an adult will be different than it is now. In my opinion, birds who can fly should not be kept in a cage, or at the very least, should be able to have some free flight daily. Are you willing to clean up droppings every day? Starlings interact with their own kind all day long, every day. So, this bird is going to want to relate to you as one of his own kind (if imprinted). How much time will you mom have to interact with this bird every day for years and years (if you're lucky)?

It was important to decide these matters early on, as there is a big difference in how one would raise a bird for release and how one would raise a bird to be tame or to be a pet! -- by
Loreen

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Will starling droppings give me a disease?

An article by Gautsch, S., P. Odermatt, et al. "The role of starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in the epidemiology of potentially human bacterial pathogens," in the scientific journal Schweizer Archiv füür Tierheilkunde, 142(4): 165-72; 2000 Apr ISSN: 0036-7281 evaluates the health risk coming from starling droppings for the population, particularly for the children and assesses the role of starlings in the transmission of diseases to humans and in the epidemiology of human diseases. This study concludes that it seems rather improbable that starlings present a direct source of infection for human beings.

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Questions about Nutrition

I can’t tell you what the 'right' way is, nor can anyone else. The reality is there have been no meaningful studies on the nutritional needs of softbills in captivity. What we can give you is antidotal information, on what does and doesn’t work in our experience, combined with the little that is known about starlings' natural diets, and basic nutrition.

A little history on what we know about birds other than poultry: Back 20 years ago it was believed that the only food we needed to feed our parrots was seed. The pet food manufacturers sold seed mixes with the statement that they were 100% complete nutrition for your birds. Then Dr. Tom Roudybush, at UNCDavis, did an in-depth study of normal grey cockatiels. It was this study which found that parrots did need much more in the way of nutrition than what was provided by seed and was the beginning of the pellet diet. Without any additional studies the pet food manufacturers started making pellets, on Dr. Roudybushes findings, again with the notice (100% complete nutrition for your birds.) There was a total disregard for the fact that parrots have different diets and different nutritional needs. It has only been in the last 8 years or so that this has been recognized.

It is interesting to also note that although we know what the needs of cockatiels are, some of the mutations, such as the lutino, are dying very young of liver disease when fed pellets. There are quite a few theories on why this is. The one that I tend to agree with is from a post from Dr. Harrision (Harrison pellets.) He says: that cockatiels are desert birds and the mutations have genetically weak livers from inbreeding, so they are unable to handle the extra water they need to drink when on an all pellet diet. So, you can see that even when the studies are done, they will only pertain to that exact type of bird. -- by Jackie

I read some somewhat negative opinions about softbill food. Is it necessary? Could it be harmful? Yes, I really believe that without supplementing it with a complete protein it is harmful. If you have read some of the messages on this board I think you will find that most of the starlings on pellet only diets have had problems. Pellet food as far as I can tell, is nothing more than parrot food with much of the iron removed. The main ingredient is corn, which has little to offer softbills such as starlings, who are close to being insectivores. -- by Jackie

Should bread be soaked in water before feeding a bird so the stomach does not bloat? Soaking is not necessary, but why give him something with so little nutrition? Victoria's birdie bread recipe would be a much better choice. -- by Jackie

Should I serve raw or cooked veggies to my bird? It is true that veggies will lose some nutrients when cooked, especially cooked in water. If veggies are steamed or microwaved, you will not lose as many nutrients. Birds can digest raw carrots, however they will get more vitamins from them if they are cooked a little. One reason for that is the nutrients are encapsulated in a tough membrane that cooking helps to break down. Birds do not have the digestive acids that we have and depend on the grinding action of the gizzard. Another reason is that most of the root vegetables have enzyme inhibitors which inhibit digestive enzymes. Heat will inactivated them. -- by Jackie

I am somewhat hesitant about feeding dog food because there might be too much protein and iron in it. Is there a dog food that is better than others for starlings?
Passerine birds need more protein than parrots. It was at one time thought that too much protein caused gout in birds, that is being disproved in recent studies. The theory that normal amounts of dietary iron causes Iron Storage Disease is also being disproved. Several top researchers have tried to cause Iron storage Disease with a normal diet and have been unsuccessful. Toucans and mynahs who have had the disease have been on low iron diets all their lives, and birds that have been on high iron diets all their lives never get it. Sure, you can induce it by giving massive amounts of iron, but you can cause clinical disease by over loading with massive amounts of water as well. (see Hemochromatosis) I don’t think there is any question that European Starlings need an animal based protein as a main part of their diet. -- by Jackie

It is my opinion that birds should be provided with a diet as close to their natural one as possible. As about half of their natural diet is insects, (see Wild Diet of Starlings). I would suggest as varied a diet as your starling will eat, including mealworms. Sprinkle some powdered vitamin/mineral supplement into the dish of mealworms (e.g., Petamine). As for bread, I wouldn't worry a bit about it "expanding". for I've never experienced such a thing and have fed a variety of breads to many species of birds over many years-especially whole-grain breads.

Concerning natural diet, this is from The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds: About half [of the diet] is insects. Diet consists of weevils, beetles, cutworms, grasshoppers, ants, bees, wasps, millipedes, spiders, earthworms, land snails, beach "fleas", salamanders, garbage, cultivated cherries and holly berries, considerable wild fruit, weed seeds and grain.

We kept the windows open (the ones through which direct sunlight came) for limited periods of time almost every day for our superb starling. We even rigged up comfortable "perches/logs" on the window sills. Natural tree branches with varying diameters are best for perches, particularly if the bird is kept in a cage a lot. It's best to allow the bird at least some daily free-flight. -- by Loreen

Percentage of protein isn’t relevant. Plant proteins are only partly digestible by animals that are omnivores or insectivores. Starlings are omnivores but are close to being insectivores. Baby starlings are fed almost a total insect diet by their parents. Parrots are primarily vegetarians so the nutritional needs are very different for birds that are mostly insectivores. For example eggs, an animal protein, can be almost completely utilized by the body. Meat proteins have a biological value of 72 to 79; plant proteins have values of only something like 50. So lets take that egg with a protein of 13 percent and corn at 21 percent. The corn is only 42 percent digestible and has a protein of less biological value than that egg, and the amino acids are not properly balanced for omnivores. So comparing two diets solely on the basis of protein levels is highly inaccurate.

Parrot hand-feeding formula was made with the nutritional needs of parrots in mind. Parrots are seed-eaters, and young starlings are almost totally insect-eaters. There is no way a food developed for seed-eaters can meet the nutritional needs of a bird that is an insectivore. Most of the baby birds that come into wildlife centers are dehydrated and suffering some degree of starvation, after hydrating we feed the dog food diet, with no problems. Starved babies need the proper nutrition, perhaps more than healthy animals.
-- by Jackie

The starlings outside seem larger with yellow beaks. although I do provide full-spectrum lighting. Also, his nails and upper beak seem to be forever growing. I was reading that this could be because of some deficiency? I believe that sunlight is needed for the birds to go into breeding condition (yellow beaks). Full spectrum lighting is still missing something. Birds housed outside do get the yellow beaks. Liver disease from a poor diet will cause overgrown beaks and nails. I think that the starlings kept indoors have this tendency because they are unable to dig in hard packed earth, and the nails need different sizes of natural perches to help wear them down. -- by Jackie

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Do starlings need grit?

You have brought up a controversial subject about the grit. Birds, with the exception of doves and pigeons, do not need it. The reason pigeons and doves need it is because they don't have efficient gizzards, so they depend on the grit to help grind up their food. It is also implicated in the impaction of the digestive system and should never be given to sick birds. There are some people, especially in other countries, who feel it is beneficial, and don't seem to have the problem that the vets do here with blocked GI tracts. I am not sure if the grit they are using is different from the kind in this country or not. My feelings on this are that if it is not needed, and it can cause a problem, then don't use it. -- by Jackie

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Can I give my starling earthworms?

When I first found my starling (rescued him from the neighbor's cat), he had gape worm (worms in his trachea, that caused him to cough). My vet cleared up the gape worm and the feather lice with Ivermectin. Earthworms are listed as an intermediate host for gape worm, so I wouldn't feed earthworms to my starling. I have fed him mealworms and crickets from a pet shop, and also garden spiders from a yard that I know isn't sprayed with any pesticides.Infection is caused by a roundworm called Syngamus trachea and the clinical signs of 'gapes' results from physical blockage of the windpipe by the worms. Clinical signs may however vary in birds from the typical outstretched neck and open beak as a bird attempts to breathe, to a cough and shaking of the head, 'a snick' as the bird attempts to remove the windpipe obstruction. In some cases these typical signs are not present and affected birds loose condition and may die with few respiratory signs being seen.

Life-cycle of the parasite:
Adult worms, present in the windpipe of infected birds, produce eggs that are coughed up by the bird and are then swallowed to be passed out in the faeces. Worm larvae develop in the eggs. When another bird picks these eggs up as it feeds that bird will then become infected. An alternative route for infection is that earthworms eat the eggs containing larvae and the larvae migrate to the muscles of the earthworm where they remain until the worm is eaten by another bird. As earthworms can live up to eight years, infection can be present on land from which birds have been excluded for several years. Once a bird has swallowed larvae, the larvae make their way to the windpipe via the lungs - this usually takes about 4-5 days

More info on gapeworm can be found at this website: Gapeworms ---by Kevin

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Where can I get insect food for my starling?

I have a long list of links to insect suppliers on the Diet page. Many of them allow you to order online. Click this link to go there: Insect Suppliers

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How did starlings get here?

The starling is native to Europe, where it remains one of that continent's most common birds. In 1890 about 80 starlings were imported to the United States by a group who wanted to introduce all the birds mentioned by William Shakespeare in his plays. The starlings were released in New York City's Central Park. Another 40 starlings were released a year later. The birds multiplied rapidly and spread into surrounding areas. -- by Jackie

Read more about European Starlings and how they got their start in America at the following webpage: The European Starlings

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How do I get rid of starlings?

Why would you want to? Please read this informative page taken from the USDA's Farmers Bulletin, and from an article in SFU's newspaper on insect consumption in Starlings -- by Jackie

Besides there really is no 100% effective way to discourage large flocks of roosting birds. I really appreciate the fact that you are trying to figure out humane alternatives however. This does not mean that there are no other solutions, just that we haven’t discovered them yet. Have you looked to see if there is anything in particular that is attracting these birds? Are they taking advantage of a particularly abundant food source (agricultural, dumps, outdoor cafes) provided by humans? The 100% answer may lie partially with us, and how we view the natural world, not just with the birds. How can we change some things we may be doing to contribute to the large flocks, and most importantly, how much mess are we willing to accept? There is give and take involved here.

I know this probably is not very helpful, and maybe even a bit idealistic, but there just some of my thoughts. You can find some good info on starling behavior and natural history on the web, a lot of people here in the US have been concerned with this same issue. Once again, thank you for your effort to find an environmentally sound answer to this issue, that’s very important, and very encouraging. -- by Pixie

I don't know if there is a practical solution to the problem on hand, but one thing that can be done is to bury electrical wires in the future. Nothing much is uglier in towns and cities than exposed wires all over and they obviously make attractive perches for birds of all kinds and since Starlings gather in large flocks, it is worse. Nowadays, communities are burying the wires, it is safer and looks better. And folks can use car covers -- that's what they are for. I do congratulate you for trying to find humane solutions but as Pixie says, we have to start by not causing the problem in the first place. -- by Diane

I'm gonna give this a shot, not as an expert, but from what I’ve found in the last two years researching these birds and from forty years plus from a viewpoint in the aviation field where everyone tried to do the same thing. (Get the birds out of the hangers and keep the birds off the runways.) To write in detail, everything I’ve seen people try to eliminate the bird would fill this forum. To keep it simple: Nothing Worked. The only solution there was to protect the equipment and totally seal the buildings.

Many cities have tried propane cannons, recorded predator tapes, mass poisonings and even raptors. The problems there have been the same. Lawsuits, protest Groups, and where they performed the mass killings they also had dead raptors and other Federally protected wildlife that consumed some of the dead birds. This also killed many protected species in the process. Louisville, Ky. has been going through this for the last two years. You can still find this story searching the Net. One corporation, in the state of Washington had a severe judgment set against it last year for the mass killing of Starlings.

I realize you have no intention of harming these birds but when you look into the things everyone else has tried it seems rather hopeless, and I wouldn’t have a clue to the solution. Several years ago I tried to keep all birds out of my black berry patch. I sat outside for a couple of days and when the birds got in the patch I fired an explosive bottle rocket into the patch. The birds learned within hours that if the rocket wasn’t aimed at them they kept eating, if is was on course they simply jumped aside as it went by and hopped right back to where they were. I know this didn’t help but this has been asked before and I don’t think anyone has an answer. Many of the bird watchers recommend selecting food for the feeders to things the Starling doesn’t like. -- by John

For additional reading about European starlings and their effects on the environment, please visit the websites listed below by clicking on the titles.

The Case of The Missing Songbirds Starlings (Compassionate Action Institute)
Starlings: birds or pests? Turning Earth
Starling (NZBirds Gallery) European Starlings and Cavity Nesters

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Names used for Starlings in other countries


  • Czech: Spacek obecny
  • Danish & Norweigian: Staer
  • German: Star
  • Spanish: Estornino
  • French: Etourneau sansonnet
  • Icelandic: Stari
  • Italian: Storno
  • Dutch: Spreeuw
  • Polish: Szpak

    -- submitted by Jill

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  • Flock Names of Starlings and Other Birds

    Here are all the "bird nouns of assemblage" from literature.

    bouquet of pheasants
    cast of hawks
    charm of finches
    clamor of rooks
    commotion of coot
    congregation of plover
    exaltation of larks
    fall of woodcock
    gaggle of geese
    murder of crows
    murmuration of starlings
    mustering of storks
    ostentation of peacocks
    paddling of ducks
    parliament of owls
    rafter of turkeys
    siege of herons
    spring of teal
    stand of flamingos
    tiding of magpies
    troop of penguins
    unkindness of ravens
    watch of nightingales

    These are for real, honest! -- submitted by Loreen


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