Starlings Messy eaters

[bennynobrain]

Why are Starlings such messy eaters. They just play with the food throw it on the ground and then drop down to eat it on the ground. Aren't they scared of cats ? Surely the safest place to eat is at the bird table. It's mainly starlings that do this in my garden

[boxtops]

Starlings don't like to perch though, they are ground-eaters.

[tonyav]

Good sport for the cats though.

[Zhukov]

Why not get a feeder,benny....less mess! :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSHuMXHlnIk

[boxtops]

Starlings won't eat off that though.

[bennynobrain]

got several but they prefer what I put on the bird table, Ham and Fish today
better than sunflower seeds

[Prudie]

I'm overrun with starlings and they all manage to feed off the hanging feeders, fatballs last about 2 days. They are just naturally uncouth.

[wildwood]

When they find something to eat that is too large to eat in one go, they drop it on the ground so they can break it up with flicking and it is the bits that come off that you see flinging through the air. When they've eaten the main bit they walk around and gobble up all the bits that broke off, they can't do that when they break up food on a perch. The habit is quite common with many birds.