152 COLLIXGE, The Starling. Tisfocr 



Economic Sedion 



THE STARLING: IS IT INJURIOUS TO 

 AGRICULTURE ? 



WALTER E. COLLINGE, D.Sc. F.L.S., The University of St. Andrews. 



Reprinted from the Journal of the Ministry of Agriculture, Vol. XXVII., 

 No. 12, March, 1921. 



For many years past there has been taking place a sure but 

 gradual change of opinion with reference to the economic status of 

 the starling, for from one of our most useful wild birds it has become 

 one of the most injurious. Its alamiing increase throughout the 

 country threatens our cereal and fruit crops, and the magnitude of the 

 plague is now fully realised. 



Writing in April, 1919,* we stated: "At the present time the star- 

 ling offers a most serious menace to the production of home-grown 

 food, and any further increase in its numbers can only be fraught with 

 the most serious consequences." In the intervening two years the 

 starling has undoubtedly increased to such an extent, and as a result 

 of the great damage done to crops, farmers and fruit growers in all 

 parts of the country realise the seriousness of this bird plague. The 

 causes which have brought about the change in the food habits of 

 one of our commonest wild birds are not at first sight apparent, but 

 a closer study of its habits readily explains the deflection. 



The starling is distributed generally throughout the British isles, 

 and, with the exception of one or two counties in Ireland, is abundant 

 now in all districts. Its remarkable increase during the latter part 

 of the nineteenth century attracted considerable attention, and many 

 theories were advanced as to the cause. Some attributed it to the 

 destruction of birds of prey, others to greater facilities for nesting 

 places, while a growing abundance of food was cited by others. In 

 the writer's opinion, however, it is due, firstly, to the security of its 

 nesting site; secondly, to the change in its food habits; and thirdly, to 

 the autumnal immigration. The increase has steadily continued, and 

 at the present time it is almost as numerous as the house-sparrow. 

 The usual nesting place was in the holes in trees, quarries, cliffs, etc. 

 and these are probably its natural habitation. More recently, how- 

 ever, it has availed itself of the greater security afforded by houses, 

 farm buildings, churches, ruins, etc., and occasionally it builds in 

 the foundations of larger birds' nests. The actual nest is a loose 

 untidy structure, consisting of straw or dried grass, leaves, wool or 

 moss, lined with feathers. Both sexes assist in nest building. Five 

 to seven pale bluish eggs are laid early in April, and sometimes there 

 is a second brood. Incubation is shared by both sexes, and extends 

 over a period of from 12 to 14 days; the fledgelings are ready to leave 

 the nest about three weeks later. 



As has frequently been pointed out, this bird is most variable in 

 its movements, even from the time of leaving the nest. Its habit of 

 moving about in flocks during the spring and summer months con- 

 stitutes a grave danger; while later the habit of collecting at special 

 roosts frequently causes much damage to young fir plantations, shrub- 

 beries and reed-beds. 



It is exceedingly difficult even approximately to estimate the actual 

 number of pairs of breeding birds in this country, but for the purpose 

 of illustrating the rate of increase, we will presume that in 1917 there 

 were 100,000 pairs of starlings breeding in Great Britain (which is 



*National Review, 1919, pp. 252-257. 



