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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think the Starling population is on the rise?

31 replies

Window1 · 01/08/2021 21:04

We often have windows and doors open and I have never noticed in all the years until this year the number and noise of the starlings in the area.

Screeching and squawking until later in the evening, flitting around in a large flock.

Have they always been around or AIBU to think there happens to be some kind of disproportionate rise in starling population?

Anything I can do to discourage them? I used to hear proper birds singing but don't hear them anymore.

OP posts:

bookh · 01/08/2021 21:11

I don't know if they are rising but they seem more confident. I have the kitchen doors open always and this year I'm constantly catching them and taking them back out. Toddler Dd is now like mummy, bird, get it. Rather than the initial excitement.

We tie plastic bags in the closed Windows to stop them nesting there, other than that the owls make the most noise here.

sophiasnail · 01/08/2021 21:20

I adore them! I love watching them sitting on the fence waiting for their turn on the feeder, I love it when they squabble, i love watching their acrobatic displays... I don't even mind their noisy chattering.

drumandthebass · 01/08/2021 21:24

They definitely were in our garden about 2/3 weeks ago, but have seen so many since

PaperMonster · 01/08/2021 21:29

I’ve noticed them a lot this year but that was because I’ve been working from home more and my students could even hear them scrapping when we were on Zoom! There were 12 of them at one point on a small bit of fence and they kept flying onto the bird feeder and fighting with whoever was on there! They are entertaining.

gillybean2 · 01/08/2021 21:30

www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/starling/population-trends-conservation/
They are on the red list for conservation concern in the UK

Bimblybomeyelash · 01/08/2021 21:34

I think they have massively declined since I was a child. I remember massive flocks that would completely cover trees. I have seen some this year actually, when I haven’t for a while, but only small numbers at a time, maybe 5 or 6.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 01/08/2021 21:48

Haven’t seen any in our garden for years. Used to, though. They used to mimic perfectly the ring of an old type of landline phone.

A dd 60 miles away has lots visiting her garden, though - a bunch of rowdy thugs, she calls them.. personally I’m rather fond of starlings.,

maddening · 01/08/2021 21:56

Hopefully they are on the rise, the starling population has been decimated in the last few years.

They are fab birds, intelligent, social and scrappy, they put on a spectacular display when they flock to roost.

maddening · 01/08/2021 21:57

And they are proper birds!

Original poster

Window1 · 01/08/2021 22:33

@maddening

And they are proper birds!

You're right they are. I think I meant the sound of them. They don't exactly do a birdsong and are a bit screechy.

OP posts:

Theunamedcat · 01/08/2021 22:38

They have massively declined my nan used to live in the road behind mine thirty years ago there were swirling flocks of them these days I see 10? Maybe 15 birds total

SchrodingersImmigrant · 01/08/2021 22:45

Mine all disappeared somewhere!

SchrodingersImmigrant · 01/08/2021 22:46

Maybe because I stopped putting out "bird crack" now since it's summer. No intdrest in me without providing fat balls😂

Spanglybangles · 01/08/2021 23:34

I love starlings, the scrapping and chattering is lovely and we have lots of them round here. The young ones sit on the railings at my back steps while their parents feed and bring them food too.

I do tend to shoo them away sometimes as their fat ball consumption was getting out of hand. I have 2 feeders and was having to fill them twice a day to keep up with the starlings’ demands! The little birds take longer to munch through the supplies.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 01/08/2021 23:35

@Spanglybangles bird crack

VeniVidiWeeWee · 02/08/2021 00:40

They may not sound pretty, personal choice, but a large murmuration is staggeringly pretty.

TableFlowerss · 02/08/2021 00:48

We’ve had them in our area for years, however this year they were a nuisance tbh.

Screeching at 3.30am, was driving me up the wall waking us up. Never been that loud. It’s stopped now but it lasted a labour 2/3 weeks.

It must have been the head chorister the way it mounted itself on top of my roof, squawking, screeching and screaming it’s heed off!

SmidgenofaPigeon · 02/08/2021 00:48

Actually they have an amazing vocal range and are brilliant at mimicry. Their sounds are awesome. There’s even studies that have shown they have their own dialects that they pass on to their chicks.

I have no idea why anyone would want to discourage them.

TableFlowerss · 02/08/2021 00:51

Too add- we’ve got about 3 bird feeders, have done for years and it is comical watching them. We’ve got 2 baths for them to as generally I love them. Not so much this year though. I actually had to stop putting out food for them as they were just too loud in the middle of the night.

TableFlowerss · 02/08/2021 00:53

@SmidgenofaPigeon

I have no idea why anyone would want to discourage them.

When you’ve got to get up at 6.30 for work and they are screeching at 3/3.15am, waking the whole house up, they do become annoying….

SmidgenofaPigeon · 02/08/2021 00:54

I know, I regularly get woken up by the crows, magpies and parakeets. I love them though. I wear earplugs a lot of nights 😂

TableFlowerss · 02/08/2021 00:58

@SmidgenofaPigeon

I know, I regularly get woken up by the crows, magpies and parakeets. I love them though. I wear earplugs a lot of nights 😂

I tried them and I was still woken up 😭

Must say though, aside from that short stint they are lovely.

SmidgenofaPigeon · 02/08/2021 00:59

@TableFlowerss they must have been mega loud! At least it was temporary.

StarlingsDarlings · 02/08/2021 01:00

I love them - as the username suggests.

Have had flocks of 15-20 in the garden earlier this year then all of a sudden they disappeared. All was quiet for a few days, the bird feeders weren’t needing to be topped up twice a day, then two returned. No idea where the rest of them have gone. I enjoy the squarking - reminds me of stroppy teens! The other day one was on the feeder and screeched whenever another bird tried to land.

Their colours are stunning and they’re very intelligent too.

TableFlowerss · 02/08/2021 01:02

[quote SmidgenofaPigeon]@TableFlowerss they must have been mega loud! At least it was temporary.[/quote]
We’ve been here for a few years and some birds nest on our wall under the eves and the same with next door.

We always have water and food out for them so I think it’s an ideal place for them. Never been an issues before at all. It must have been an exceptionally loud one. I wondered if it was calling for a mate…

Never heard a bird so loud during the night. I’m sure I once woke up to it abd it was 2.50am 😭🤣

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