50 BULLETIN 868, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



for roosting places. Whenever a lantern was brought into the build- 

 ing at night the starlings flew about in great commotion and, fright- 

 ening the pigeons, caused some of the setting birds to leave their eggs. 

 Starlings were reported on occasions to have driven pigeons even from 

 church towers. At Norwalk, Conn., and Newburgh, N. Y., however, 

 towers were found where pigeons were successfully raising young in 

 the immediate presence of roosting starlings. 



To determine whether a mere scarcity of nesting sites is the cause 

 of the antagonism between starlings and other species, 24 nest boxes 

 were erected, 12 in the vicinity of Closter, N. J., and 12 about Nor- 

 walk, Conn. These boxes were of a size commonly provided for 

 flickers, measuring approximately 4f by 5f by 16 inches '(interior 

 dimensions) and fitted with a 2^-inchhole, and so constructed that the 

 nests could be readily inspected by means of a removable front. 

 In some of these boxes the size of the hole was reduced by tacking 

 on the front small boards containing circular openings, some If 

 inches and some If inches in diameter. These were used to determine 

 the smallest opening through which a starling can pass. The boxes 

 were occupied readily both by starlings and bluebirds; in most cases 

 this was not due to a lack of natural nesting sites, as there were many 

 to be had. In one orchard a pair of starlings showed such a marked 

 preference for a natural cavity that they raised two broods therein, 

 although 3 boxes were in the immediate vicinity, unoccupied at the 

 time their nest was started. Following is a summary of what trans- 

 pired at the 24 boxes: 



Four boxes failed to have any bird activity connected with them; 

 18 had starling nests started; 14 had starling nests completed; 10 

 had starling eggs hatched (in 3 other instances the eggs were removed) ; 

 8 had bluebird nests started, four of which produced young; and 1 

 had a completed nest of house wrens. 



None of the 6 boxes with If -inch opening was occupied by star- 

 lings; 5 of 7 boxes with If -inch opening were occupied by starlings; 

 10 of 13 boxes with 2^-inch opening were similarly occupied; and at 

 3 boxes bluebirds were driven away by starlings. 



In summarizing the evidence bearing on the relation between the 

 starling and our native birds during the breeding season/it is apparent 

 that the bluebird and flicker suffer most. Both have no doubt to a 

 certain extent been driven away from the vicinity of the dooryard. 

 Regarding the seriousness of these attacks and the ultimate conse- 

 quences to the population of the species it is believed the fears of many 

 bird lovers are exaggerated. While instances such as those cited 

 arc numerous and often have resulted fatally to the birds attacked 

 it must be borne in mind that this information is the compilation 

 of more than six months' constant investigation, during which time 



