Perspective: Arborist

(Starling Control 2013)

Arborists whose primary concern is the health of the trees, join the majority in the common desire to decrease starling populations. Starlings harm all trees.  They form communal roosts of up to 10,000 birds in high locations (Pimental et al. 2011).  The immense weight of such a large quantity of the otherwise relatively small birds causes obvious problems to trees in which the starlings make their large roosts, such as breaking small branches and new shoots, and causing disfiguration and stress on the trees (Pimental et al. 2011).  Also, the accumulation of the droppings produced by such a large quantity of starlings may surpass depths of twelve inches (Pimental et al. 2011).  These droppings are phytotoxic, and in these large quantities, the droppings can kill mature trees (Pimental et al. 2011).  Although starlings must roost in trees to survive, they damage trees by doing so.

Works Cited:

Pimental, D., Lach, L., Zuniga R., & Morrison, D.  (2011)  European Starlings.  Wildlife Damage Management.  USDA Wildlife Services: National Wildlife Research Center.  (Date Accessed: May 13, 2013.)  http://lib.colostate.edu/research/agnic/starlings.html

Starling Control.  (2013)  Bird Control: Trapping, Removal, and Damage Protection.  Starling Control.  United Wildlife Control.  (Date Accessed: May 17, 2013.)  http://www.unitedwildlife.com/AnimalsStarlings.html