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Posted by David S. on 09:53:34 03/12/08
In Reply to: Starling Squatters posted by Hawker
I too, have problems with starlings, especially around my Martin house & gourds. I solved that problem by making the holes in the bird house a little smaller and changed the shape to accomodate the just the martins. Seems the starlings are a little bigger and have a deeper breast than the Martins. The starlings come around, but they are very uncomfortable and have a hard time going in & out of the newly designed holes.
I still have them trying to get into the screech owl houses, but one is occupied by an owl, so that keeps them out. The other house is open, and they are trying to use it for a nest box.
The starlings are very wary of people (esp. me, since I own a BB gun) and leave the area whenever I go outside. My owl houses have a hinged bottom, so whenever I observe them building a nest & getting too cozy in a nest box, I just open the bottom and out plops the nest. Do this a few times and they get the hint & go somewhere else, or they are not going to raise any young this year. If you can get to your owl house & install hinges on the bottom, It makes it easier to clean out the old nests & keep it clean.
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