Where Did The Starlings Go?

[MWG14]

My garden has been inundated by starlings for years. They are greedy, drive out the smaller birds and steal their food.

But where have they all gone? I have put out bird food and they are no starlings to be seen. Did the extreme June/July heatwave drive them away?

[spathiphyllum]

Maybe migrated due to cold weather or last years cold winter?

[jourdain2]

Quite a few of ours have disappeared as well - we had a thriving, squabbling group earlier in the year, now down to about 4. This does help the smaller ones, of course.

[Buenchico]

From the RSPB:
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/where-have-all-the-birds-gone/where-have-all-the-starlings-gone/

[ladybirder]

I am truly shocked that this species is globally threatened and on the Red list.
It'll be our fault of course. What a shame they are such a happy and funny bunch to have in your garden. And mesmerising when going to roost. Let's hope they can be saved.

[hereIam]

^ totally agree.

[woofgang]

I never see them in the summer. They come and feed in the winter when natural food runs out but I am also lucky to have them breeding in my garden and the families in spring are hilarious.

[MWG14]

Thanks for your replies. Without the starlings, the small birds are able to take the food more readily. However I am missing them already.

[ladybirder]

Yes you don't miss 'em until they're not there:-))

[woofgang]

MWG14, I put most of the food out in "cages" which you can buy as squirrel proof or make by wiring two gardening hanging baskets together. I put a mesh tray inside. One cage has got smallish gaps which only the tiny birds can get into, the other cage has got bigger gaps which blackbirds, thrushes, starlings and so on can access and the open food is there for wood pigeons and so on. Og fouse the tiny birds can get food from the bigger birds' feeders but they tend not to. It works well, everybody gets a share and if I decide that eg the pigeons have had enough for that day then i just don't top up their feeder.
Two of these wired together let in the blackbird/starling size.
Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[woofgang]

two of these wired together let in wren/tit/sparrow size
Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[woofgang]

oops...this one for bigger birds
Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[Old_Geezer]

True ladyb. It'd pay paradise to put up a parking lot.

[Canary42]

Lovely link ladybirder, thank you.

[jourdain2]

Like that O_G.

[Tashi]

Lots of them here still, and we are right on the coast.

[ladybirder]

Yes Tashi we have people watching them come home to roost on Brighton Pier every evening. Lovely.

[Tashi]

Hi LB, we have Herne Bay Pier, same difference.

[ladybirder]

I like that 'same difference'.
Canary glad you enjoyed it. I could sit and watch them for hours.

[Baldric]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herne_Bay_Pier#Destruction_and_aftermath

[shoota]

Two years ago I was fortunate to have a nightly murmuration of about 3,000 birds over my place in France. Last year there were nowhere near that number. This year probably only 30 or 40.
Swallows are suffering too, down from 30 or so birds to just 3.