While I was reading about our favourite passerines, I learned that these two species were brought to several parts of the world, including the USA where they rapidly spread nationwide after city-sized introductions
Whilst seeing their impact, I have noticed they were considered invasive due to their destructive tendencies (as they nest in cavities, they are known to aggressively conquer other nests, often killing the inhabitants) but I also have heard that they’ve been declining and are no longer considered a significant threat to birds in the region.
As someone who lives in a place where both species are native, what would someone who lives in their introduced territories say?
They are still considered invasive. Where did you hear they are no longer a threat?
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I remember reading about these birds as well as a review of a book called ‘Mozart’s starling”, where the author brings a study claiming that starlings are not directly responsible for the declines in some songbird species that they displace and that they themselves are declining in the USA, however I am somewhat skeptic al and want to make sure
Starlings (and house sparrows) are not one of the major causes of declines in songbirds. Habitat loss/degradation by far takes the lead. Global insect declines are another major concern that can be partly lumped with habitat loss and partly lumped with other factors (e.g., climate change, pesticides, light pollution). As far as direct causes of mortality, feral/outdoor cats take the lead. This does not mean European Starlings and House Sparrows have no negative effects on native songbirds, just that they aren’t the most pressing threat.
European Starlings and House Sparrows thrive in the areas closest to humans. For many people, their own backyard is the only place they interact with wildlife. Many find it frustrating that starlings take over their bluebird/martin/etc. nesting boxes or that their bird feeder is emptied in a matter of hours by House Sparrows. I have a Kestrel nesting box in my brother-in-law’s orchard and every year I have to clean out a few starling nests because despite being much larger birds of prey, my Kestrels are wimps when it comes to defending their nest cavity before they’ve laid their eggs.
It’s also important to note that European Starlings are an agricultural pest.
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The above user explained it better than I ever could. If starlings and sparrows are in decline, it’s news to me; the two species are common in just about every urban area on the East coast of the US.
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There is some truth to the statement about declines.
From the The Cornell Lab’s All About Birds:
House Sparrow populations have declined by about 3% per year resulting in a cumulative decline of nearly 80% between 1966 and 2019, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.
And regarding European Starlings:
European Starlings are common and widespread, but their populations have decreased by over 1% per year for a cumulative decline of about 50% between 1966 and 2019, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.
The decline of these invaders in not concerning in and of itself, except it is likely indicative of some of the same causes of declines I mentioned previously for native species. The true concern is that both species are also declining in their native ranges.
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I see, thank you for your detailed and informative response
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Interesting! I didn’t know that and I stand corrected. Concerning if only because of its implications for less resilient species.
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I think there may be some historical perspective lacking–or downright revisionism–in some of the recent articles on the European Starling in North America. They are absolutely still abundant in many parts of this continent, including urban and agricultural areas. And they still retain their aggressive cavity pre-empting behaviors. Anyone who has watched a starling wrestle with and evict a bluebird, Purple Martin, or even a sizeable woodpecker from a cavity or nest box can attest to their continued aggressiveness. I might assert, without any scientific evidence to back me up, that IF starlings were suddenly eliminated from a given area (small or large), then we would probably see a measurable population increase in native cavity nesters. So a statement like “no longer considered a significant threat” is IMHO absolutely unsupportable. The species may not be increasing, and may be declining slightly, but that doesn’t ameliorate the continent-wide impact the species has had and continues to have.
(I’ll get down off my soapbox now…)
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I maintain a couple of Purple Martin colonies and can personally attest that if all starlings in North America dropped dead, that martins would be faring much better right now.
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They’re still invasive, but they’re long past the point where we can control them.
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I consider starlings and house sparrows as being past the invasive stage in North America. They’re pretty well established where they can be. That doesn’t mean they don’t continue to pose a competitive threat to natives but we’re long past the stage where control measures will work.
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This is the reason a lot of people keep an air rifle on hand to pop starlings . . .
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This is a matter of definition. Starlings and House Sparrows did invade. Now they’ve filled the area available to them at least in North America so they’re not invading further. I consider them still invasive – just very successful invaders. You don’t consider them invasive because they have no where else to invade so they’re not currently invading. Neither of us is wrong, really, we’re just using the word “invasive” differently.
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I have been in Australia fifteen years ago for six weeks. It was nice and interesting, but at the end of the journey we could not stand the wet heat in cairns, queensland, any more. the little sparrows we saw there did not fit in the tropic giantic world of the fifth continent. They were small and unspectacular. But for us Austrians it was a reminder of our homeland where we belogs and a clear sing to retourn. Since this time I am very fond of the sparrows, and I have absolutely no understandig for people trying to kill them. Killing goes easily and quickly, but you never can put a sparrow together.
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We kill them because they threaten our native species where they are introduced outside of their native range. I don’t like it but I do it because it must be done to protect native biodiversity.
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