Last Updated on: June 2, 2026
Let’s face it; there are times at home when you just don’t want to see some birds in your yard. Whether it’s the noise or the mess, some species of bird can be a real pain.
There are even a few mean types that can deter some of the more polite and beautiful birds from showing up for weeks at a time. These are usually invasive species, meaning those that are not native to your local area or the continent you live on.
In the United States, starlings are one of those introduced species that can make backyard birdwatching a nightmare.
In this article, we review a few simple tips and tricks to deter starlings from setting up shop in your backyard and answer questions such as:
- Will a fake owl keep starlings away?
- How do I identify a starling?
- What is the best way to get rid of starlings?
- How do you get rid of starlings and keep birds?
What Are Starlings?
Starlings are a medium-sized species of bird, around the size of a blackbird, originating from Europe. Though they generally have short tails, their bills are long and slender and when seen in the sky, they have short, pointed wings.
They were introduced to the United States from the 1870s and a popular, albeit unverified, anecdote suggests that a Shakespearean enthusiast, Eugene Schieffelin, brought some of the birds to Central Park, New York, as part of his effort to introduce every species of bird mentioned in the playwright’s bibliography. Either way, the population of birds spread throughout the continent, now ranging coast to coast and from Canada down to Mexico in a population estimated to exceed 150 million.
They are a highly social species, often seen in large groups called murmurations that keep them safe and defended from larger predators. They have a speckled plumage and pink feet. A breeding bird has a dark body with purplish-green iridescent feathers and a yellow bill, while a non-breeding bird has the same purplish-green plumage with spots and a dark bill.
Often feeding on insects and seeds, as well as crops of fruit and vegetables in rural areas. Their melodic voices can often mimic the sounds of other bird species, as well as some man-made noises.
Starlings build their nests from grass, pine needles, feathers, trash, and pieces of cloth, which can take between one and three days to construct. They also add green plants to the nest during the nesting period. A starling clutch typically has three to six bluish or greenish-white eggs that both sexes incubate for 12 days. After hatching, the nestlings depend on their parents for about 23 days.
Why Do Homeowners Hate Starlings?
As pretty as they are from a distance, there are a range of reasons that people dislike the Common Starling here in the States. Below are a few common reasons why people don’t like starlings.
1. Aggression
Starlings are very territorial, and are known to drive out other species from places they call home. While their large group sizes keep them safe from predators, it also makes it easier for them to gang up on other smaller species as well.
This might turn your backyard into a battlefield as starlings attempt to drive out other species from nest boxes or cavities you’ve installed.
Their competitive nature ultimately affects the population of some species. With starlings spread throughout the continent, their unrelenting need for nesting sites reduces space for native bird populations whose habitats are already restricted by urban developments, agricultural lands and industrial estates.
2. Murmurations
Starlings can live pretty comfortably in almost any environment, from forests to farms to urban centers to cities. It’s common to see them perched on telephone poles, on lawns, and on parking lots. And when you see one starling, your bound to see at least ten more.
These huge flocks can roll through the land, destroying property, pillaging, crops and leaving droppings all over the place. Their cumulative screeching can be deafening and they have also been known to interfere with air traffic as well.
3. Parasites
Female starlings are known to take over the nests of others and lay their eggs in them. Not only are they a territorial bunch, but they are also more than happy to take over the work of others. To make things worse, the newly hatched ‘parasitic’ chicks will happily push out the other hatchlings to make room in the nest. Nasty buggers!
4. Starlings Will Eat Anything
Although insects make up most of their diet, starlings also love fresh fruit, grains and vegetables in farmland. They will also happily eat anything they can get their beaks on, including livestock feed in rural areas and garbage in urban areas, leaving behind obnoxious messes and refuse in their wake.
5. Starlings Will Nest Anywhere
Starlings are cavity-nesting birds. In the wild, they would usually form their nests in the holes of trees or the cracks and crevices of caves and rocks. In our modern cities and urban areas, they will use any kind of built infrastructure to nest. This could be anything from building vents and eaves, to bird boxes you’ve made for native species.
How To Keep Starlings Away From Your Backyard
1. Stop Feeding Birds
Unfortunately, one of the quickest ways to stop starlings visiting your backyard is to stop feeding birds altogether. Pack up the bird feeder, close up the bird box, trim your trees and plants of fruit and nuts and make sure your garbage bins are air tight. Without any access to food, the starlings should quickly move on and after a while you may be able to return to business as usual for your backyard birdwatching.
2. Change Your Bird Feeder
If you want to keep some birds in your backyard while detering starlings, it can be a delicate balance. Another way to keep them away is to change your bird feeder, and there are a few ways you can do this:
- An Upside-down Suet Feeder
Why does an upside-down suet feeder deter starlings from your backyard? Using an upside-down bird feeder can deter starlings from feeding as they physically struggle to access the hole. Their size and the structure of their bodies, feet and wings makes it difficult for them to hang while feeding, while smaller birds and more nimble species find it easy to do so. - Cage Feeders
How does a cage feeder deter starlings from your backyard? Similar to the upside-down feeder, the starlings basically find it difficult to get at the food as a result of the mesh. The bills of smaller birds however can reach food through the small holes of the cage. This can also be helpful in deterring squirrels as they find it difficult to get through the mesh too. - A Bird Feeder With An Automatic Door
Why does a bird feeder with an automatic door deter starlings? There are some bird feeders on the market that are weight-sensitive; the doorsclose when larger birds perch on them, allowing only smaller birds in to feed.
The Squirrel Proof Wild Bird Feeder 2l Capacity – Roamwild PestOff 2.0 is a great option for keeping out larger birds and rodents, and there are even more advanced options that include cameras for you to keep track of the birds at your feeder like the Birdfy Smart Bird Feeder Camera. - Tube-Style Feeder
Why does a tube-style feeder deter starlings? Tube-style feeders often have short perches with close feeding ports that restrict larger birds from accessing the seeds and feed inside.
To learn more about different feeders, check out our related articles on how to attract birds to your backyard. You’ll also come across a related post on how to starling-proof existing feeders.
3. Change Bird Feed
With their long, pointed bills, starlings forage for insects,seeds, and grains in the wild. They love things like millet, cracked corn, mealworms, shelled peanuts, nectar and fruit so try to remove and avoid these kinds of feed from your feeder if you’re looking to get rid of starlings.There are also some foods they don’t like. Grey-striped sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, unshelled peanuts, and nyjer are just some of the kinds of food that other birds will go nuts over while starlings will a. Their bills crack black-oil sunflower seeds, but they can’t penetrate the hulls of grey-striped sunflower seeds.
You could also try keeping feed such as cheap cracked corn but in a specific feeder away from the feeders other birds use to try and divert some of the starlings from your sunflower seeds and suet.
4. Clean Your Backyard Regularly
Cleaning your yard regularly will remove any detritus, seeds and food that the birds might feed on. Starlings are natural foragers and love to be on the ground picking around for insects and seeds.Pruning your trees will also prevent roosting and will remove nesting material like grass and feathers so they can’t set up shop in your yard.
5. Prevent Starlings From Nesting and Roosting
Further to the above, it’s important to remove any opportunity for nesting or roosting as starlings will pretty happily make their home anywhere:
- Use A Gutter Guard, Bird Spike, Bird Netting or Chicken Wire
If you notice starlings arriving in your yard, it’s really important to block any vents they can use as nests. A bird guard is a simple, uncomplicated way of doing this. Bird guards block birds without affecting the vent’s function, and you can even have a seal designed to the size of a specific invasive species. There are plenty of options to buy these online and if you’re handy enough you can install them yourself. Check out this PG Bird Proofing Mesh Kit & 60 30mm SPEED Clips for instance.
You might also want to install a bird spike on various spots where starlings might perch, such as window sills, the edge of your roof, and along tree branches. It’ll also deter other predators and pests from frequenting your yard.Spikes are easy to install as most have adhesive tape, and there’s no drilling required so they can be easily removed.
Using bird netting or chicken wire can protect your fruit trees and prevent a large flock of starlings from roosting on your property or accessing fruits and insects. - Add Predator Tubes To Birdhouses
There are some other ways of adapting your birdhouses to make it safer and more accessible for smaller species while prevent starlings from getting into them. One way is to add tubes that form tunnels for small songbirds to access the nesting site. PVC pip would do the trick here; the key is to find one small enough to restrict any starlings getting in. - Change Your Nest Boxes
As cavity nesting birds, starlings are very comfortable in nest boxes and will even kick out other birds to make room for themselves. If you don’t have one already, we recommend grabbing a nest box with an opening smaller than 1.5 inches in diameter. Starlings can’t go through such small spaces.
If you stick with a larger nest box to accommodate some of the other larger birds you want to attract to your yard, be warned: you’ll have to monitor it throughout summer and spring to prevent starlings from nesting. Once they use it to nest one year, they’ll come back again and again as they tend to use the same site several times.
As a final note in this section, though It sounds a bit ruthless, removing starling eggs is also helpful when a handful of starlings invade your nest boxes. - Use A Bird Deterrent Kite,Scarecrow or Sound Repellent
Another great way to get rid of starlings is to scare them off; make them feel so uncomfortable that they leave your backyard for good. Starlings have many predators, so a bird deterrent kite that resembles species such as a falcon or an owl will have them wary of staying too long on your property. This may have the adverse side effect of deterring other species from your yard as well, so use this in combination with the other strategies mentioned in this article.
Another similarly simple trick is to use a device that creates a sound or audio frequency that will scare starlings off. The Bird-X 240V Pro Yard Gard Ultrasonic Animal Repeller is a good example of this. Like a kite or scarecrow, the sonic method can alsodeter other birds from your yard as well. - Bird Shock Tape
This should be an absolute last resort as bird shock tape does not discriminate between species and will shock the ones you want to keep around as well. Use this sparingly.
A bird shock tape works on window sills, pipes, and any other surface that avians perch. It’s a simple peel-and-stick solution that prompts birds to fly away. Some, such as Bird Jolt Flat Track, use solar power.
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Conclusion
Overall there are a number of ways to deal with starlings in your backyard, from very simple to more involved solutions. A good practice is to use a combination of these strategies together and avoid some of the more drastic ones straight away. Change your feed, use a starling-proof bird feeder, remove nests, or distract starlings from your feeding station.