Red-winged Starlings Series Part 2
How to attract and humanely manage the Red-winged Starlings.
As cavity nest builders, Red-winged starlings use ducts and vents to build their nests. Unlike their cousins the European Starlings (invasive to South Africa), they are not obnoxious and do not cause any disturbance if dealt with humanely.
In fact, the Red-winged are a highly intelligent species and are very much an integral part of our ecosystem. They protect smaller birds from predators and perform their daily duties of nesting, raising their young, and dispersing seeds from the indigenous trees and shrubs that populate the area.
They are territorial in nature and you will find one family inhabits an entire block (+-200m). These birds love socialising, so they build their nests in close proximity to each other. Flocks meet up during the winter months to teach the new fledglings to fly, feed and protect each other from predators.

Attract Red-winged Starlings to your garden
Like many birds, Red-winged Starlings are primarily food-driven and live on a diet of berries, seeds, and insects. They mostly establish colonies in any area where food sources are easy to find and in an environment that offers the ideal habitat for nesting.
If you would like to attract them to your garden, place bits of cheese in a dish on display for them. If you see them domineering the smaller birds at feeding time, simply wait for them to finish eating and then give the little ones their food separately. In many cases, the Red-winged Starlings will call out for food on behalf of the others.
A birdbath is definitely recommended as the Red-winged absolutely love taking a bath every few days and you will also find them drinking from it.
They have a reputation for being messy, as their droppings accumulate under their nesting areas. The droppings are highly acidic and can damage paintwork, deck stain, and masonry on and around buildings. This is easily maintained by cleaning the area with hot soapy water.
Their nests are built high above the ground to avoid predators from reaching them. To prevent them from nesting in your ducts or gutters, simply install a couple of bird boxes as high up as possible and in an inaccessible area. The birds will not take to the bird boxes if they are too low.

Birdboxes crafted in Plettenberg by Raoul the Owl
These birds are active from sunrise till sunset. They start off by clearing your gutters of seeds and moss. The moss, which is known to have antimicrobial is placed in their nests. They prune your trees, distribute the seeds and are not known to destroy lawns, as is the case of the European Starling.
Red-winged Starlings manage the surrounding bird colonies, working together to ensure their safety against predators. This is quite entertaining to observe, as every bird on the block has a role to play in ensuring they are well alerted and safe.
As mentioned, Starlings are extremely social birds, even when interacting with humans. If you mimic their sounds, you will be communicating with them in ways you never dreamed possible.
Images by: Lynette Mullins
Part 1 – Meet our Red-winged Starlings
In part 3 – discover how to divert Red-winged Starlings quickly & humanely.