Starlings

Starling numbers are declining steeply and British Trust for Ornithology surveys show that numbers in Britain have fallen by about 66% since the 1970s. This is largely due to the changing agricultural landscape with less permanent pasture and mixed farming reducing the supply of earthworms and leatherjackets on which the Starling feeds. Their wonderful arial acrobatics as they gather over towns, woods and reedbeds to roost at night are a joy to watch. However, their sheer numbers (when they are joined by winter flocks from the continent) can cause problems underneath their town roosts where their droppings cause slip hazard and corrosion. Starlings are protected birds, so the only solution is to try to move them on to less sensitive roosts. This is generally done using tape recorded starling alarm calls.

Where are they found?

Habitat:

Starlings nest in holes in buildings and trees.
They feed over farmland con a diet of insects, worms, fruit and some grains.

Habits:

Noisy and gregareous, they are enthusiastic competitors for food, especially in a garden bird feeder situation.
During the winter months the UK population is joined by starlings that have bred in Europe and they form flocks of many thousands of birds.
Those flocks feed on farmland through the day and roost in woods, reedbeds and city buildings over-night.
Some flocks are particularly attracted to cities because the average night-time temperature in cities tend to be a degree or so warmer than in the countryside.
In the spring, the flocks disperse back to their breeding grounds.