# European Starlings



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

i have raised many euro starlings and they have huge personalities, let me tell you!! one thing to consider is they are one of the messiest little brats i have ever raised also. i'm sure they would be good pets if ya don't mind the mess and the need to clean and i mean clean the cage and surrounding area everyday. they love to take many baths a day and will throw water on your walls, rugs whatever within a 4 foot radius of the cage, they will also use that same water to make bird food/poop soup , lol, messy little stinkers!! they also need animal based protein to remain healthy so seeds wouldn't be enough. they need meal worms, eggs, cat or dog food, they also enjoy berries like blue berries.
if you search you tube you'll see that they can learn to talk quiet well also, i have never kept one because i feel if they were born free they should be free, they can get pretty bratty once they are older and may end up not liking you at all also.


----------



## corvid (Oct 16, 2008)

I love Starlings !!

aint that true with their personalities and characters...

I released this year flock of 17 of those rascals. I will share some pics of some of them when young


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I moved these posts and photos to the other birds area as the starlings being discussed in the other thread are a breed of pigeon and not European Starlings 

Here's my European Starling contribution:










Terry


----------



## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

oh cool corvid your a rehabber also, here's one of my favorite pics of a baby starling, i love it , she looks like she's smiling, hope it goes thru


----------



## corvid (Oct 16, 2008)

what a cute sweet pie...

I love their singing outside. They coming here in flocks and sometimes I m wondering , which ones are mine....


----------



## corvid (Oct 16, 2008)

Terry we LOVE your Starling contribution.. 

Keep them coming and this little one looks like spoiled brat...LOL

Of curse I did unswear on the other post there, before finding this one.

Terry looks like you going to have your hands full, till some people learn some rules, ha...

Well, you can always clip my wings a bit,,hey where are you going with those big scissors????


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Now I'm totally confused .. no big surprise there!  I guess I jumped the gun on moving these .. if so .. I'll put them back! Sorry! 

Terry

OK .. I did right .. European Starlings go here in the Other Birds area and Pigeon Starlings belong where they were!


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Little flower faces and like a ray of sunshine for those of us who have been lucky enough to care for them! Some of my best memories of caring for songbirds involve Starlings. When I would have a large group of them, I would feed them at the kitchen table and when they finished eating, I would put them all on a soft towel and pull them up close to me and wrap my arms around the whole bunch. They would go to sleep like that, all piled up and with me happy as a junebug just watching them.

However, after they get out of the baby/fledgling age and you begin to teach them to eat on their own, you best be prepared to change their cage numerous times a day because they put their whole heart into flinging food and water everywhere. They tickle me so much in their single-minded determination to eat and drink everything in sight and have a lot of fun while they're doing it. It isn't so bad when you have just a few, but, get 10-15 at one time at the same age and it is a job! Course, after they get past their learning period, they settle down. They are a delight.


----------



## corvid (Oct 16, 2008)

Magggie I love your warm and happy reminiscence about Starlings.
Thank You so much for it.
Took me right back to the feeling I had when observing them. You know I had a special big dish for them just for the bath, which as you know , could be replaced right after I poured the water there. But as was pouring the warm water I already had like tree of them taking the bath, not even waiting for the dish to get full. And after a few of them done, then I had to replace the water for the next ones waiting, cause there was none already. And all those happy noises , they we making, while at it..

Its true it is a delight,


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

LOL Corvid, I do love them. They surely need frequent baths because most of those we had would get everything on them - food and poop! We never kept one as a pet and I think I may have missed out on a real treat but I so enjoyed raising them. 

A Starling was the first songbird we ever cared for. Our rehabber friend said they were the easiest to raise and I think she was right.

To the best of my (ancient) memory, we only had one that didn't make it. He was born deformed, with an elongated head, and we believe blind, but lived for a few weeks. He loved to be held and was a joy. I can still see his sweet little face.


----------



## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

They are wonderful little birds. Here is Spreckles whom we adopted when his dad became too ill to care for him. He is full of mischief. He should have been named Rascal. He free flies most of the day. As he grew older he grew darker and his beak turned yellow. Right now he looks raggedy as he is growing in new feathers after a heavy molt.

Margaret


----------



## corvid (Oct 16, 2008)

Margarret

He is soooooo god looking. very exquisite look in those bright eyes.
Where he goes to sleep then, does he have his preferred spa ??


----------



## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

corvid said:


> Margarret
> 
> He is soooooo god looking. very exquisite look in those bright eyes.
> Where he goes to sleep then, does he have his preferred spa ??


He has a cage which he goes to when it gets dark. Of course he doesn't often just fly over there. He prefers to squeeze in behind the cockatiel cages. But he will jump on our hand and let us carry him to bed. When covered he entertains with his variety of songs and noises till he gets sleepy enough to stop.

Margaret


----------



## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Is it true they can poke your eye out. Is this a true concern if kept as a pet?


----------



## corvid (Oct 16, 2008)

...LOL

just as any other pet bird , if you stick your nose in his eye....LOL

Seriously I dunno


----------



## corvid (Oct 16, 2008)

here is pic of my girl from last year. She was raised from 2 days old hatchling, but because was really late in the season, I did not get any more Starlings , nor any other rehabber had them anymore. So of curse she got habituated .
She was so sweet and gentle if she wanted. I loved her "facial" I was getting every time , when in aviary. I could not cuddle with her (hoping for possible release), but I did let her do daily preening of my brows and eyelashes and ..any NECESSARY changes to my "hair do".

Then came spring and my girls hormones kicked in. All over sudden all those wild Starlings sitting every day in backyard, as they always did thru whole year, now they were looking very interesting to her. To the point I new will be just question ; when. She was working hard on trying to go to the other Starlings outside. It was spring and the males were calling

And so one day she was successful . She went over my head in split of second, I just heard her wings, when opening the door. She spend few seconds on the wire above me and she flu to her freedom and her new life. She was ready. Here is her pic, when still young. I miss her caressing but I m more happy, that she found her place.


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Margarret said:


> They are wonderful little birds. Here is Spreckles whom we adopted when his dad became too ill to care for him. He is full of mischief. He should have been named Rascal. He free flies most of the day. As he grew older he grew darker and his beak turned yellow. Right now he looks raggedy as he is growing in new feathers after a heavy molt.
> 
> Margaret


Spreckles! My Oh My .. You are one very, very handsome bird these days! Still got all your jewelry, buttons, and other small possessions, Margaret ? 

Terry

PS: Spreckles was kind of a joint effort between Starling-Talk and Pigeon-Talk .. very long story, but I am soooo very happy that Margaret and Jon ended up with this bird!


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Grim said:


> Is it true they can poke your eye out. Is this a true concern if kept as a pet?


Like any other bird, they can cause damage to your eye if they peck it .. a starling beak is very pointed and would probably do a bit more damage than a pigeon beak .. you just need to be careful. There have been a rehabber or two killed by a large, pointed beaked bird pecking them in the eye and penetrating the brain, but these were very large birds like Egrets and Blue Herons.

Terry


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Lady Tarheel said:


> Little flower faces and like a ray of sunshine for those of us who have been lucky enough to care for them!


I call them my little "Daffodils" ..

Terry


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

corvid said:


> And so one day she was successful . She went over my head in split of second, I just heard her wings, when opening the door. She spend few seconds on the wire above me and she flu to her freedom and her new life. She was ready. Here is her pic, when still young. I miss her caressing but I m more happy, that she found her place.


Good job, Corvid! 

Terry


----------

