When it comes to red-winged starlings, tough is the only word that comes to mind! They are disparaged by the multitude who see them as being aggressive scavengers, who bully, dominate, and terrorise everyone who comes too close. Strange behaviour for such a beautiful animal.
It is true that I have been dive-bombed many times! For years, my allocated parking bay was blessed by a breeding pair right above, and I ran the gauntlet. The hostile parents were quite willing to make contact with my head (although never actually pecked or caused any damage). My response has been special respect for red-winged starlings.
For other birds it is the same. Mynahs, Cape Glossies, thrushes, babblers et al, they all give way. Obviously, these starlings love suet, and will displace the others at your feeder. But they also clean the garden of insects of every description – our observation is that they eat just about anything, and it does become important to dispose of waste food properly in your bin. I believe waste to be the reason that there are so many living in business areas.
My wife recently found that one (probably a new resident) had discovered her business feeder. The result is a new pecking order. But for the humans, the most rewarding part is the call – an unmistakable whistle, both eerie and mesmerising, that pierces the office. That’s how the toughie makes it tough to actually do some work.
