Starling Problems

What type of damage can occur?
Problems are typically associated with massive gatherings of roosting and nesting starlings including damage to trees, buildings, and crops. Droppings can quickly accumulate causing unsanitary, unsightly and unsafe conditions. Bird droppings are corrosive and can damage stone, metal, car finishes and masonry. Nests built in machinery, drainage pipes and other available building spaces can damage property, create fire hazards and spread unsanitary nesting materials. In agricultural areas, flocks of starlings cause significant damage to crops harvesting seeds and young plants. They will also take advantage of feed lots and can actually cause significant depletion of feed supplies. Large flocks can also be a danger to aircraft when active near airports.

Do starlings carry disease?
Yes. Starlings, and their droppings, can present a health hazard to people, pets and livestock. Although typically a problem only with large accumulations of droppings, diseases can be transferred from starling droppings including histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis, encephalitis and more. Always exercise caution when dealing with bird droppings.

One of the more serious health concerns that starlings have is the "fungal respiratory disease histoplasmosis. The fungus Histoplasma capsulatum can grow in soils under bird roosts, and spores become airborne in dry weather, especially when the site is disturbed {such as cutting the lawn}. Histoplasmosis, in its most extreme state can cause blindness and/or death to humans.

Starlings also play host to ticks, fleas, mites and lice. These parasites can infest buildings, which can then be transferred to people and animals. These aggressive birds are even known to drive out native songbirds and woodpeckers by taking over nesting sites.

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