Photo of European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
From: Ken Kostka, PMCA, Edinboro, PA
Date: 2/23/00
This is a European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). They are larger and more powerful than Purple Martins, and can kill Purple Martins when attempting to take over a nesting cavity. Starlings are very abundant and compete with martins for nesting cavities. They were released into this continent about a century ago, at which time they spread rapidly and began to displace native cavity nesters. Allowing starlings to use your martin house will ruin your chances of attracting martins. Allowing them to nest in among your martins will result in significantly lower reproductive success, since starlings will puncture martin eggs, kill nestlings, etc... Notice the long, pointed, yellow beak. Martins have a wide, flat, black beak. Starlings can be legally trapped and (humanely) destroyed or shot, assuming local ordinances allow for discharge of firearms. PMCA sells a very effective starling nestbox trap. There is also a starling resistant entrance hole that will exclude the great majority (over 95%) of starlings from martin housing. Go to http://purplemartin.org/forumarchives/archive/SOPEH.htm for more information on this entrance hole.
