We've discovered lots of things that are not, so we're hopefully getting closer, but it's proving tough to pinpoint exactly what the problem is. So what do we know? The latest research combining the most recent British Trust for Ornithology BTO survey, nest records and ringing data show that the birds seem to be mostly breeding successfully. I've personally helped scientists and volunteers monitor the breeding colony at Hope Farm RSPB, our arable farm just outside Cambridge, and have seen first-hand that starlings are producing plenty of chicks.
This means the problem is occurring away from the species' breeding grounds. And this is the tricky part. Just where are starlings going when they're not breeding? What problems do they face when they get there? There are many lines of enquiry. Could the problem lie with the loss of an important food source, predation, changing agricultural practices, or something else?
Looking at different breeding populations around Europe, some are doing well and increasing, but others, like here in Britain, are declining. Backing up the theory that the problem is away from the breeding grounds, it appears the declining and increasing populations use different wintering grounds.
Common Starling is a familiar bird in gardens across Britain, but the species is suffering a drastic decline www. We have seen that in the first few weeks after fledging, Eurasian Sparrowhawks and cats prey heavily on young Common Starlings. However, once the fledglings have gained some experience of the world, and realise the danger of predators, the losses decrease dramatically.
This would be expected in lots of young animals — predation is higher in inexperienced juveniles — and the best available evidence from the BTO's population models rules out predation as having a major role in driving the national decline.
We need to look elsewhere. Research from other scientists involving laboratory studies shows that pollutants, including anti-depressants from our sewage systems and flame retardants, badly affect starlings, but it's less clear whether wild starlings are exposed to them. What all of this research, from the RSPB and from others, shows is that it's likely that the starling's shocking decline is caused by a combination of factors.
We just need to find out exactly what. Eurasian Sparrowhawk preys heavily on juvenile Common Starlings , exploiting their naivety in the first weeks of their fledged lives Peter Miles.
So what is the RSPB doing to research the problems and find a solution? I thought today would be a good day to take a few moments and appreciate the simple beauty of murmurations, captured by a number of photographers over the past few years.
Starlings perform their traditional dance before landing to sleep near the southern Israeli city of Rahat, in the Negev desert, on January 22, A murmuration of migrating starlings flies above a waste facility near the city of Rahat, Israel, on December 30, Black kites fly as a murmuration of starlings tumbles in the distance near Rahat, Israel, on February 10, Starlings land to sleep on a transmission tower near the southern Israeli city of Be'er Sheva on December 22, A black kite flies under a murmuration of migrating starlings at a landfill near the city of Be'er Sheva, Israel, on December 26, A murmuration of migrating starlings is seen across the sky near the village of Beit Kama, Israel, on January 16, Starlings swarm before landing to sleep near the southern Israeli city of Rahat on January 22, A murmuration of starlings, photographed near the southern Israeli city of Rahat on February 4, Starlings are photographed at their nesting box in a private garden in the town of Bobruisk, Belarus, on April 8, Migrating starlings fly in a group above a waste facility near the city of Rahat on December 31, These gregarious birds are probably most famed for their stunning murmuration displays.
Some starlings migrate, while most stay in the UK over winter. Keep an eye out for stunning starling murmurations at dusk in the autumn. Starlings have glossy black feathers with iridescent markings that shine blue and green in the sunlight.
During the cooler months they are also covered in small white spots. They are a similar size to thrushes and weigh just under 80g. Juvenile starlings are greyish brown in colour. Their diet is made up of invertebrates, including spiders, moths, leatherjackets and earthworms, as well as fruit. They often feed on lawns and pastures, probing the ground with their pointed beaks.
They are also regular visitors to garden bird feeders. Try the interactive Starling. Attract Starlings with the following food. View All Products at GardenBird. Related Posts. A Guide to Spring Feeding. March 21st, 1 Comment. The Virtues of Sunflower Hearts.
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