Starling

Starlings are an introduced species to Australia and have adapted well to urban life, which offers abundant nesting and food sites.

The starling is a dark, chunky, muscular bird that is distinguished from other species by its short tail and longer, slender bill. Starlings gather in massive flocks (some numbering tens of thousands) and these aggressive birds will drive out other native bird species often taking over the other birds’ existing nests. In Australia, the Common Starling has become a familiar sight around human habitation throughout the east and south-east.

Damage caused by Starlings

When starlings are in their flocking phase, thousands of these pest birds can literally overwhelm trees or buildings in an area. Typical starling problems are large scale buildup of their sprayed feces (a whitewash look) which can lead to structural damage, as the uric acid in the pest bird droppings can corrode stone, metal and masonry. Machinery and drainage problems can also occur from starling nesting materials and bird droppings.

In addition, the bacteria, fungal agents and ectoparasites found in starling droppings and nesting materials are responsible for a host of serious diseases, including histoplasmosis, encephalitis, salmonella, meningitis, toxoplasmosis and more. The large quantity of starling droppings can open a company up to slip and fall liability if not properly cleaned up.

Starling Control

The best starling control product is bird netting. Bird net is extremely durable and creates a true bird barrier. Bird netting permanently resolves starling problems, keeping these problem birds completely away from the area.

In addition to bird net, another effective starling control product is the Bird Shock Flex Track System and is particularly useful for starling control on building ledges.