STARLING 203 



available food supply on which our birds largely depend in fall and 

 winter. Whether the harm done on either of these counts has been 

 overestimated is an open question, when we consider the economic 

 value of the starling as one of the greatest destroyers of noxious in- 

 sects, as shown above. The study of its food habits indicate that the 

 starling is of more economic value than the robin, English sparrow, 

 or flicker, with which it competes for food or nesting sites, and it has a 

 better food record than such beneficial birds as the catbird, red-w^inged 

 blackbird, or grackle ; but the economic value of the bluebird and the 

 purple martin might be considered greater than that of the starling. 



In its search for nesting sites, the starling comes into competition 

 with domestic pigeons, screech owls, sparrow hawks, flickers and other 

 large woodpeckers, crested flycatchers, purple martins, bluebirds, tree 

 swallows and house wrens, or other hole-nesting birds that build 

 their nests in open cavities in trees, or in bird boxes that have entrance 

 holes large enough for them to enter. But the starlings cannot occupy 

 a box, if the entrance hole is an inch and a half in diameter or less, 

 where the smaller birds would be safe. 



Starlings either preempt the nesting site before the others have 

 had a chance to occupy it, in which case their ownership is seldom 

 disputed, or they actually evict the rightful owners after their nest 

 is built, or even contains eggs or young. Probably the flicker is the 

 most frequent victim of these aggressive tactics, about which much 

 has been published. The following case, reported by Kahnbach and 

 Gabrielson (1921) is typical: 



In contests with the flicker the starling frequently makes up in numbers what 

 disadvantage it may have in size. Typical of such combats was one observed 

 on May 9, at Hartford, Conn., where a group of starlings and a flicker were 

 in controversy over a newly excavated nest. The number of starlings varied, 

 but as many as 6 were noted at one time. Attention was first attracted to the 

 dispute by a number of starlings in close proximity to the hole and by the 

 sounds of a tussle within. Presently a flicker came out dragging a starling after 

 him. Tlie starling continued the battle outside long enough to allow one of its 

 comrades to slip into the nest. Of course the flicker had to repeat the entire 

 performance. He did this for about half an hour, when he gave up, leaving 

 the starlings in possession of the nest. 



They tell of another case in which the flickers were finally success- 

 ful in raising a brood which was nearly ready to leave the nest. 

 "Whenever this flicker relaxed its vigilance for a moment one of the 

 starlings would immediately make a dart for the nest opening. A 

 scuffle would ensue in which both flicker and starling would come 

 tumbling to the ground and a few feathers would fly." This conflict 

 continued for several days, until the young flickers left the nest un- 

 harmed. Even then the starlings did not use the nest. 



On several occasions starlings have been known to remove the 

 flicker's eggs, or pull out the young birds and throw them to the 



