European starlings are bird species that are native to Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa. They are famous for their murmurations where they gather in thousands and move across the sky in swirling mass.
Their murmurations are considered the most remarkable and ethereal displays. Most of us have even seen these birds on the bird feeders but what do these birds consume? Are hard seeds suitable for them? Will they prefer mealworms in winter?
All such questions are common among bird lovers who want to feed starlings. And In this article, I’ve explained all such information about the diet of starlings in detail.
What Do Starlings Eat?
Starlings are omnivorous birds that feed on nuts, seeds, grains, berries, and invertebrates such as spiders, larvae, caterpillars, and worms.
They get the most out of the diverse grasslands and woodland habitats. But they do have a preference for insects.
Once starlings become mature, they tend to get a varied diet that helps them to make good use of their diverse farmland habitats.
Starlings have high energy demands and they need to consume a lot of food on regular basis.
What Do Starlings Eat In Winter?
Starlings are active and social before the autumn season and in early winter. At this time, the starlings generally prefer the most nutritious plant materials which they can find and all small insects as well.
In late autumn, i.e. between September and November, it is more often to see starling murmuration. They gather in large flocks and generally feed as a group.
Starlings feed upon everything from seeds, and grains, to insects and it stays all year round, including winters.
But these birds tend to consume more insects in the late winter and the breeding season. The intestine of these birds becomes slightly longer to accommodate this more fiber-heavy diet.
What do starlings eat in the grass?
In the grass, there is an ample number of worms, beetles, larvae, and other insects. They also contain seeds, grains, and nuts.
Due to such reasons, they tend to live in grasslands and lawns. They have strong legs which makes it easy for them to traverse the grasslands.
They enjoy the wide, open, and diverse environments as they have a high chance to get their omnivorous diet there.
What can you feed starlings from bird feeders?
Starlings prefer well-stocked bird feeders that have softer grains and seeds. However, most people don’t attract starlings to their garden because these birds consume anything available to them.
This makes the food less available for the other birds. But if you want to feed starlings then it is necessary to remember that these birds have softbills and food like sunflower hearts, raisins, sultanas, and mealworms should be offered to them.
Even suet, fat balls, and kitchen scraps can be a good option for feeding these birds. However, you should know that the flocks of these birds will eat anything and it can be expensive suet as well.
What do baby starlings eat?
In this bird species, both the parents feed their babies. They bring a mixture of small soft-bodied invertebrates into the nest.
This diet includes caterpillars, grasshoppers, millipedes, cranefly larvae, crickets, and beetles. This diet is offered to these babies shortly after hatchling and as soon as they become ready to eat.
When the nestlings become a little older, their parents introduce larger insects and a wider assortment of food.
Even the parents bring food items to the nest before the young hatch from the egg. This is done to build a small food stock to ensure that the nestlings will have enough food.
Once the babies fledge the nest, their parents continue to feed them for a short while.
Are starlings omnivores?
Starlings are omnivorous but they behave more like insectivores for at least a portion of the year. They largely feed on insects until summer begins.
In summers, they have plenty of seeds, grains, nuts, and berries which makes them inclined towards these products.
Starlings can consume a wide variety of plant and animal materials and are generally unfussy.
When it comes to baby starlings, they cannot easily digest tough plant material as their digestive systems are not strong enough.
Once they get matured, they can eat most types of small insects and have a varied plant diet. They rarely attack baby birds for food purposes.
Their diets are limited by their soft bills which can digest only soft seeds and grains. Due to this, these birds prefer insects and tend to become insectivorous in the late winter and breeding season.
Do Starlings eat baby birds?
Starlings are aggressive birds and they are known for attacking habitats of other birds. These birds are sociable and stay in large flocks which helps them to invade the habitat of other birds.
Even they also fight with each other which is typically over food. These fights can also result in the death of a bird.
They have strong appetites which gave them willing to consume anything and everything that can replenish their energy.
Starlings are known to eat small eggs and may attach to other baby birds. However, they generally attach to the other birds to keep them away rather than for eating purposes.
Attacking and eating baby birds depends on the food availability for the starlings. As long as they get their omnivorous diet, they rarely attack baby birds.
Conclusion
Starlings are aggressive birds that can eat anything that they found. One of the advantages that these birds have is that they flock in groups and this makes it easier for them to get access to the food.
However, bird feeders should know that these birds can eat anything and it can also include the expensive suet. Therefore, one should beware of it and keep some food for other birds as well.
At last, I hope this article was of any help to you. Thank You For Reading!
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