starling control methods_brochure_Final Draft (Read-Only)

Banning Banning the the bird
bird
Controlling Controlling starlings starlings with
with
trapping trapping and and other other management
management
management
strategies
strategies

Pest Bird Control
a challenge for every landholder
One of the main pest bird species on Eyre Peninsula is the common starling,
which threatens both agricultural productivity and native ecology. They defecate
on sheep and potentially devalue the wool, foul up stock feed and water
troughs and also eat beneficial insects and other soil organisms. They compete
aggressively with native birds for food and shelter and spread diseases through
parasites and faeces.
Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board has been researching
some starling control techniques that are relatively cost-effective and easy to
apply on the farm or in town. The study incorporated various aspects including
habitat use surveys, trap trials, trough modifications and other deterrents, and
physiological trials to try to find a weak link in the starling’s defenses that may
be exploited to develop a control method specific to this species. This brochure
will help you plan how to control starlings on your property.
Bird control by its nature is difficult. There are a number of features common to
pest bird species that make applying control methods effectively very difficult.
Birds are notoriously wary of new things within their environment, and will
relocate to a new area if something new appears. Birds can also travel long
distances very quickly,across water bodies and
disappear into dense vegetation swiftly leaving
little trace of their whereabouts.
Many bird species which become pest species
are generalist species - they have wide diets,
broad habitat preferences and are tolerant of
a range of environmental conditions. There is
rarely one single control method that is
effective in controlling feral birds - a
combination of a number of methods spread
out throughout the year and over consecutive
years is usually preferable to a single,
seasonal control effort using one method. And
any control plan will be more effective if it is
carried out by a group of neighbouring
landholders, rather than individuals in
isolation.

Common or European
Starlings Sturnus vulgaris
Common starlings were introduced into South Australia in Adelaide in the 1840s
for pest control and also to help settlers from Europe feel more at home in their
new surroundings. The species has since spread westward and reached the west
coast of Eyre Peninsula around the 1950s. They have been the focus of a large
control program in Western Australia since the 1960s, aimed at preventing the
spread of the starlings into the biologically diverse and highly productive south
western region of Western Australia. Current control methods for starlings include
trapping, shooting, nest removal and prevention and habitat modification. There
are also numerous methods that can be applied to limit the effect of starlings on
both infrastructure and native flora and fauna.
Methods of Starling Control
There are only a few methods of lethal control authorised for use against starlings
in South Australia:
• Trapping
• Shooting
• Nest, egg and juvenile removal
Poisons targeted specifically at starlings are not currently available in Australia
because of the risk they will harm non-target species. Poisons should not be used
in your starling control program unless under direct supervision by scientific
authorities and necessary permits have been obtained.
Reducing The Effects of Starlings
These methods will not kill starlings or remove them from the breeding population,
however they will help to reduce the effect of starlings on your farm or
home, your stock or pets and native flora and fauna:
• Stock trough modification to reduce water availability for starlings
• Habitat modification such as revegetation or vegetation protection to
make habitat less suitable for starlings
• Blocking up of nest sites to prevent breeding
• Removal of roost sites, if possible
• Use of commercial audio-visual deterrents

1
2
3
4
Trapping starlings:
making the most of your traps
Traps are available to landholders free of charge from your local EPNRM office (see
contacts details on the last page of this brochure). There are a number of things
you can do to help make the most of your trapping program:
Trapping is best carried out during the season when birds are found in large flocks.
On Eyre Peninsula, this is traditionally from early summer until early autumn but is
dependent on the seasonal conditions.
There are a few different trap designs available and each has its pros and cons.
EPNRM officers can discuss which trap might suit your needs best.
Ideally, traps should contain a lure. This helps to attract birds into the trap and
increases the number of birds captured at any one time. The best option is live lure
birds. Lure birds are of the same species to be captured, and are housed within a
lure cage to protect them from predators. To ensure maximum effectiveness of lure
birds, they must be kept happy with food, water and shelter, and their cages
should be cleaned and replenished - at the very least - every two days. Other lures
that have been found to be effective are food sources, like grain and fruit, and
water.
Traps should be placed where
starlings are feeding or
watering. Placing traps at roost
sites is ineffective because
roosts are sites of rest and
information sharing; birds will
not be interested in traps.
Other food sources should be
removed. If required, free feed
for a few days beforehand by
leaving a scattering of grain or
fruit where you intend to place
the trap or leave the trap open
for starlings to come and go
freely. This gets the birds used
to the bait and going into the
trap.

5 The locations of your traps should
be evaluated after two weeks of
trapping. If traps are no longer
catching birds in their current
location, move the traps to
another location or remove them
for a few weeks. Starlings become
very suspicious if their mates
continually go missing!
6
Inspect your traps often. If traps
are on uneven ground, or if there
are large gaps in the paneling,
trapped birds may escape.
7
Euthanasia and disposal of pest
species is a sensitive issue. For
more information on how to
dispose of starlings and other pest
species humanely, please contact
your local EPNRM office.
A Modified Australian Crow Trap, commonly
used to capture starlings
SHOOTING STARLINGS…
While shooting is generally not an
effective method to kill a large number of
starlings, it can be used to deter flocks
from roosting in certain areas, such as
around sheds and homes. This will
probably require more than one episode
of shooting, usually best done at dusk
when the birds are coming in to roost.
You can use either a shotgun with
number seven shot (used for clay target
shooting) or a .22 calibre rifle with
birdshot.
Although this may deter the birds from returning, it is possible other starling flocks will
move in to take their place.

Managing starlings… On your farm.
Removing resources is the best way to reduce the presence of starlings on your
farm. If you have a feedlot, try to make food and water troughs “starling-proof”.
There are many techniques available to land managers to accomplish this
including:
• PVC pipe over trough edges, creating rounded edges that starlings find difficult
to grip when drinking
• Lowering the water level of troughs so birds cannot reach the water. Troughs
not in use should also be emptied
• Make sure your taps, hoses, troughs and tanks are all in good working order
and free of leaks. Puddles of water are perfect starling swimming pools!
• Lengths of dripper hose/pipe on fencing wire, creating rolling perches which
prevent birds perching on fences
• Anti-perch devices for eaves, guttering and other surfaces which prevent birds
from landing and perching
• Model birds of prey, which
when placed in different
locations around a feedlot
or yard, make the site
unpleasant to visit.
• If you have particular crops
you want to protect from
starlings, you might like to
try using a commercial birdscaring
gas gun. These are
used to deter starlings from
vineyards and other
horticultural crops.
A modified trough with poly-pipe to prevent birds
perching
Remember!
Successful starling control programs combine a number of different control
methods and operate throughout the year. For example, combining trapping in
the summer flocking season with nest site control during the breeding season
will be more successful than a single control method applied once a year.

Other techniques for managing starlings
Habitat management
In a similar way to removing food and water sources, removing breeding habitat
or nests can be a very effective technique for managing starling numbers on your
property and within a district. Starlings return to the same area each year to
breed, and their young will also use the same habitat as their parents. If there are
starlings breeding on your property it is recommended that:
• Nests around sheds, houses and machinery be removed as soon as they are
detected. If possible, the adults should be eliminated and any eggs or young
also removed.
• Use mesh, wire, tennis balls or other materials to block holes that might be
used as nest sites. You should not block holes or hollows in vegetation as these
may be used as nest sites for
native species.
• Revegetate! Starlings will nest
primarily in small patches of
vegetation which are degraded
and have little understorey.
Fence patches of vegetation off
and rehabilitate remnant
vegetation to improve its
quality. If possible, make the
patches bigger or more
connected to other patches.
Starlings are fringe dwellers,
because they can find food and
shelter easily on the fringes of
areas of vegetation.
• Plant native species of trees
around your property. Large
trees like Aleppo pine, Norfolk
pine or large Eucalypt species
provide roosts for starlings
during summer.
Starlings will nest in hollows in native
vegetation with a poor understory.

Natural Resources Management Officers undertaking trough
modifications on a property west of Ceduna
For more information on
starlings and starling
control, please contact
your local NRM board
office...
Port Lincoln
(08) 8626 7555
Elliston
(08) 8687 9275
Streaky Bay
(08) 8626 1108
Ceduna
(08) 8625 3060
Cleve
(08) 8628 2077
Whyalla
(08) 8640 3481