How to Control European Starlings Problem in Your Roof?

European starlings (also called “rat birds”) are sturdy black songbirds that belong to the tyrant flycatcher family.

Be it your roof, attic, basement, backyard garden, or gutter, they can build their nest anywhere you can think of.

In simple words, European starlings are birds that can quickly adapt to almost every kind of habitat.

The ability that makes them successful is their wariness, making it very hard to capture these birds.

What is a European Starling?

European starlings or starlings are common in urban areas.

They have a black coat with metallic-looking pinkish legs and a short tail.

They usually nest inside buildings or wall cavities and are known for their loud noises.

In the open, starlings can also be found on farms, fields, empty lamp posts, billboards, signs, etc.

European starlings feed on various substances, including insects, berries, fruits, grains, cracked corn, and seeds.

They may also eat poultry feed (including cattle and hog feed), due to which they are prone to transmit various diseases.

The seeds starlings do not like to eat include Nyjer seed, safflower seed, and whole peanuts.

Why is European Starling a Problem?

Starlings are the birds that usually travel in flocks of thousands which can be extremely dangerous to air travel.

These birds are known to cause great damage to crops and other agricultural operations yearly.

a) Messy

In addition, starlings can be a hazard for you when they invade your house and create a mess all over.

As they can create a lot of mess within no time, they can easily make you go mad, especially if present in a large group.

Besides being messy, they can be a cause of structural damage to your property.

Like, when present on your rooftops or metal sheds, regular droppings can erode the metal components of structures very fast.

b) Health risks

Starlings can also be a cause of severe health hazards for humans and pets.

The waste and mess they create in homes and the fungus present in their droppings can be dangerous.

This should not be ignored as it can cause various kinds of illnesses.

c) Loud noises

With higher vocal abilities, Starlings are skilled at making and imitating various sounds.

They are good at copying a variety of songs or sounds of other birds and animals (like frog calls, cats, etc.) and are believed to be a better talker than parrots.

When present in large groups, they can be annoying as all of them keep producing thrilling and chirping sounds.

These noises can become louder and even more disturbing with the increasing population – when they flock around in groups over your building.

d) Fertility

Starlings are highly fertile and can reproduce at an alarming rate.

Due to their high fertility rates and growing numbers, there will be increased competition for food when other native bird species are around.

And this is the reason why most homeowners are worried when starlings are found to be nesting on their roof.

e) Aggressive

Most important of all, starlings are known for their aggression toward other birds.

Being highly territorial, they can drive other native birds out of their territory.

Not only by bullying other harmless bird varieties, but they can even kill them for their food or shelter.

These birds can occasionally attack humans if they get close to their nests, particularly during the fledgling season.

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How to Control European Starlings Infestation?

European Starlings, as said, are sometimes beneficial birds that should not be harmed.

And so it is important to know how to properly keep them away from spaces where they shouldn’t be without harming them.

As such, there are many ways to actively solve the problem of European starlings’ presence near the home.

Fortunately, the solutions are varied, and all can be successful, though, in some situations, their effectiveness can depend on the location you are living in.

1- Frightening Starling Away

Like every bird, Starlings are also scared of their predators.

Taking advantage of this, you can easily frighten them by installing artificial predators in your gardens, such as the decoy of the owls.

You can also get many devices in the market that can serve your purpose.

These are like scary eyes, sonic devices, reflective mirrors, inflated balloons (with holographic eyes drawn on them), falcon bird deterrent kites, etc.

Pyrotechnics, shell crackers, or fireworks can also work if you want to keep starlings from crops and aircraft.

These methods are most commonly used in the agricultural as well as aviation industries, where bird strikes are a common problem and can cause plane crashes.

2- Block their Access

Starlings will keep coming into your building to look for places where they can easily build nests for themselves and their young ones.

You should therefore check for any holes and cavities in your place (like the one in your attic) from where these birds can enter.

Also, check for the spaces in your chimneys, vents, pipe fittings, and eaves from where the birds can find their way.

Seal them instantly (by using cavity plugs, wire mesh, chimney cap, etc.), and do not leave them uncovered as starlings and other birds can take the benefit.

3- Search and Remove the Nests

A simpler option that could achieve the same results involves homeowners going out into their land to look for European starling nests.

When the nests are discovered, proper authorities can be called, and the European starlings can be peacefully and safely removed.

If allowed in your state, you can legally destroy the nest yourself – provided they are not fully established.

If there are any eggs in the nest, be humane and relocate the nest to some other safe area far from your place.

When destroying/removing the starling nest, make sure that the parent bird is away from the nest so that they do not attack you.

Though, of course, you can try even more things as a homeowner.

4- Eliminate their Food and Water Sources

One of the main reasons why starlings choose your property for nesting is the plenty of food and water they will be getting from there.

If you have open trash containers, pet food, and water outside, make sure that you remove them from your place.

Keeping them indoors for a few days can discourage the starlings from coming.

Alternatively, you can install a nesting box or a birdhouse in your yard.

Or install a bird feeder on a tree where they can nest and build their home freely without coming and nesting in your eaves.

5- Take Steps to Decrease their Population

With a solution that lasts long without consistent maintenance, you can have a guaranteed answer to the problem of European starling intrusion.

So, if you are frustrated with the large group of Starlings in your area, you can take extreme steps to control their population.

This includes trapping them for relocation, giving them slow-acting poison, or even shooting them down (if allowed).

For trapping, you can simply bait starling traps with seeds, grains, suet, etc.

Laser beam technology is also often used as a successful way for pest bird management that can cause damage to your crops.

Although this technique works only during particular times of the day, the main advantage it offers is you can adjust the wavelengths to specific frequencies so that it only proves harmful for specific birds and species and not the others.

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How Do You Get Rid of Starling Nests in Gutters?

European Starlings nesting in the roof can be a real headache.

Even if you remove their nests, they can reconstruct their homes in a couple of hours.

When rebuilding the nests that can block the gutters, vents or can even tear through window screens.

Drainage pipes and gutters, when clogged with starling nests, can then cause severe water damage.

a) Install screens

You can install screens inside the gutter to discourage them from building nests and blocking the gutters.

These screens and gutter guards are made of wire mesh, plastic, or other surface tension materials.

When installed in your roof’s gutter system correctly, it will prevent the birds from getting access.

b) Hide the nest material

If you already have the nesting materials stuffed in your gutter, consider removing the material manually as soon as you can.

For fully established nests, you can use a power washer to get rid of them when the bird is not present in the nest.

After removing the nest, ensure you do not throw the material in the trash.

If they find the material, they will rebuild their nest quickly.

So, it’s good to hide the nesting materials in a place where starlings do not find them easily.

c) Bird spikes and sticky gels

Secondly, you can install bird spikes or use bird repellent sticky gel to make your roof ledges, eaves, and gutters starling-proof.

These can either be nailed or stuck using an adhesive material to stop the birds from nesting in the gutter.

If you have very old gutters installed on your roof, getting them replaced with some newer models can also help a lot and can save a good amount of money.

Other Related Questions:

What are starlings afraid of?

Hawks, falcons, and owls are the natural predators of starlings.

These are the prey birds that starlings are most afraid of.

For this reason, you can use Hawk Decoy in your balconies, patios, gardens, and other large open spaces to scare away the birds.

What is the best way to kill starlings?

Federal and state laws do not protect starlings.

So, if you have been fighting a losing battle with them, you can use lethal stuff like DRC-1339 and Purina’s Starlicide.

These are effective to use against starlings and blackbirds while keeping the danger to other wildlife minimum.

Antifreeze (used in automotive) is another fatal way that can poison birds like starlings.

However, this can also be toxic to other animals and pets around you.

So, you should use them with special care.

Why do starlings form Murmuration?

The Starling murmurations (a delightful pattern created when starlings fly in a large group of hundreds or even thousands) can be seen during winter.

The number of performing aerobatic displays peaks usually from December to January when more birds travel from Europe and join the resident birds.

The main reason why starlings flock in huge numbers is to keep them protected from predators.

By forming murmuration, they keep themselves warm at night.

Also, by gathering together, they try to keep connected and inform others in the group about their feeding areas.

The Conclusion

European Starlings flocking around your property, chiefly around the chicken and other domestic animals, can present more issues than benefits to the property.

Therefore, it is good to know how to solve the problem of European starling interaction in the most humane way possible.

The options I have discussed above are simpler and less invasive.

They are not meant to target European starlings but instead to keep them from being constantly invested in certain areas like roofs.

For that reason, they should be considered perhaps even before other tactics (like hiring a pest control team) to get rid of European starlings from your property.