1114 



The Starling. 



[Mar., 



THE STARLING: 



IS IT INJURIOUS TO AGRICULTURE? 

 Walter E. Collinge, D.Sc, F.L.S., 

 The University of St. Andrews. 



Fob, 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 alarming 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 starling 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 if 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, &c, and these are probably its natural habita- 

 tion. More recently, however, it has availed itself of the 

 greater security afforded by houses, farm buildings, churches, 

 ruins, &c, 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 



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



