I thought I would describe the situation
in Canberra with this little extract. Based on the results of COG’s Garden
Bird Survey that has been running continuously since 1981. We have 39 years of survey
data now. My 130 page book Canberra Birds: A Report on the first 21 years of
the Garden Bird Survey that summaries the first 21 years. There has not
been any comprehensive analysis of the GBS since preparation and release of my
book (only Annual Bird Reports that contain basic yearly updates). There are
many other references to the starling in the book but this is just the main
species text entry. In the early 1980s starling were such a prominent common
species that the National Capital Development Commission commissioned COG to
prepare a report analyzing this, with a view to controlling them. This was done
by Crawford. In general terms starlings are no longer as common as years ago, in
the last Annual Bird Report, they are the 8th most common on the list. Just in
my own experience in the second half of the 1980s there was rarely a minute of
daytime that I did not have starlings feeding on my back lawn and it was
frequent to find large flocks anywhere around the city. It is now several years
since I last saw even one starling in my yard and I don’t usually notice
them more than a few times a week just in general travel around and not in big flocks
now. Also of relevance is the activities of Canberra Indian Myna Action Group
Inc. that have also included starlings see http://indianmynaaction.org.au/.
I don’t usually do this but here is
the abundance graph of the species from my book.
Ref: Crawford, I. 1990,
‘Distribution and movements of post-breeding flocks of the Common
Starling, Sturnus vulgaris Linn., in the Canberra area’,
Unpublished 38 page report to COG & ACT Government.
Philip
THRUSHES AND STARLINGS
This group comprises two families,
Muscicapidae: the two thrushes and Sturnidae: the starling and myna. One of
these is a native species, that does not cope well with the suburban
environment. The three introduced species are abundant and dominant influences
on the local bird fauna. There is some basis for regarding these three species
as pests that have a negative impact on native species. The Common Starling and
Common Myna both compete with other species for nest hollows. Pell & Tidemann
(1997 a & b) have reported on this aspect locally. What the GBS results
suggest is that the large parrots have increased significantly over the
21-years. This is probably due to habitat change and increased food
availability and in spite of the increase of the Common Myna. However the
Eastern Rosella has not increased and the Red-rumped Parrot has decreased. The
Common Starling has also decreased. These changes may be in part or wholly due
to the increased Common Myna population.
(I have deleted the two thrushes in
sending this extract.)
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Overall our most common species on almost
every year. It was the most common species for the first 16 years, thereafter
having declined to fifth by Year 21. In the late 1980s, concern about the
status of the Common Starling was sufficient for the ACT Government to engage
COG in a survey of distribution and movements of its post-breeding flocks. The
report of this study by Crawford (1990) lists locations of major feeding and
roosting sites and discusses problems of monitoring and controlling this
species. It highlights the population size at that time. It is clear that the
Canberra population of this species has declined significantly since then, as
also shown by the results of this study. Since then, although the species is
still abundant, the huge congregations formerly found are now mostly replaced
by flocks of less than 100 or even 50 birds. The monthly pattern is very
regular with a fairly even broad peak in numbers from January to May. Then a
smooth but dramatic drop to about half the numbers in October, followed by a
rapid rise to the January peak. Available GBS and other data imply a link
between the increase in the Common Myna population and the reduction in the
Common Starling population. These data were not available ten years ago and
Crawford (1990) did not mention them. Another likely cause for the decline of
this species is the reduction in the preferred feeding habitat of large flocks
of this species. The total area of grassland, such as sports and school
grounds, that were regularly irrigated, has declined in recent years compared with
the situation in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Also, numbers were
disproportionately highest in Year 1 due to a survey bias. Flocks of over a
thousand birds regularly roosted in a Pyracantha bush clump at Site 52.
These trees were removed after that year and those big numbers did not occur
again. When the numbers were recalculated without this site, then the A value
was still highest that year but the reduction showed as smooth rather than
dramatic. Numbers have decreased over the first nine years from A=25 to A=9.6,
then showed a slight resurgence for the next four years. It then showed a
sharper decline from Years 13 to 21. In recent years there appears to be a
marked change in its distribution. It has declined more dramatically on the
northern side of the city than on the south, thereby creating a marked
difference that did not occur in early years. Nest building activities commence
in July, peak in September and are finished by December. Nests with eggs or
young commence in July, peak in October and are finished by January. Dependent
young commence in September, peak in November and are finished by March.
Duration of complete breeding event is about 14 to 17 weeks. There are often
either second broods or more than one breeding event included in one breeding
record.
Graphs on page: 105, Rank: 9, Breeding Rank: 5,
A = 10.92630, F = 96.50%, W = 52.0,
R = 71.241%, G = 15.34.
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
This species has shown a dramatic rise in
numbers, probably the biggest increase in population of any species. This has
already been described (Gregory-Smith 1985, Davey 1991, Pell & Tidemann
1997b). It is not surprising that the monthly pattern is very similar to that
of the Common Starling. Numbers are at their minimum in November, then rise
rapidly to a peak in March then decline again from June to November. The fact
that June abundance is higher than that of July (eleven months earlier), is
most likely due to the steady population increase of the species. There was a
20 fold increase from Year 1 (A=0.23) to Year 21 (A=4.56). In Year 1 this bird
was 37th in the list of abundance, it ranked fourth in Year 21. So for the
first time it was in front of the Starling. This appears likely to be the major
impact of the Common Myna on other species. The increase was initially quite
slow and even, until the species became well established. It became dramatic
from Year 6 onwards. The values of R and F (not shown here) have increased
steadily. There is a geographical aspect to this spread. There were more
records for the first nine years in southern Canberra (1.75% of all records in
this zone were of this species), then central (0.9%), then northern suburbs
(0.2%). This trend has reduced during the last 12 years. There is also an
unfortunate bias operating, as has occurred in the past when observers failed
to properly count Common Starlings, some observers are now failing to count
this species. Undoubtedly both are under counted even though counts of this
species of 30 or thereabouts are common. The Common Myna can have such a
domineering manner that other species become harder to find and some observers
even pull out of the GBS because they say, (stretching the truth) they
“only get mynas now”. Inspecting hollows and nest building
commences from August, though most activity at nest occurs in October. Most
dependent young are noted from November to January and up to the end of March.
The percentage breeding of records of the species has fluctuated more than it
has increased. However the percentage breeding of breeding charts and
percentage breeding of all charts has increased markedly. This was from no
breeding records in Year 1, to recorded breeding on 34% of breeding charts in
Year 15.
Graphs on page: 105, Rank: 27, Breeding Rank: 13,
A = 2.59934, F = 65.07%, W = 51.9, R = 43.067%,
G = 6.04.
From: Birding-Aus
[ On Behalf Of Paul Doyle
Sent: Saturday, 1 August, 2020 12:28 PM
To: 'Geoff Shannon'; 'Jenny Stiles'
Cc: 'Michael Hunter';
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Starlings
Attached the corresponding info from Ireland.
There has been a modest decline (7%) in Ireland over 20
years, and a similar decrease in continental Europe, during the time that the
population in Britain has collapsed ~ 50%.
Food availability is posited here as a probable factor.
Paul.
From:
Birding-Aus <> On Behalf Of Geoff
Shannon
Sent: Saturday, 1 August 2020 11:01 AM
To: Jenny Stiles <>
Cc: Michael Hunter <>;
<> <>
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Starlings
Interesting series of reports. Here in W Tasmania no
problems. Flock 550 in paddock last night. BUT the population in UK is falling
and has been raised to RED status because of this.
From British Trust for Ornithology. More details on website.
Geoff Shannon
On 31 Jul 2020, at 08:58, Jenny Stiles <> wrote:
Hi Michael,
We see large flocks of Starling in the Richmond Lowlands & Windsor areas.
There are also small flocks at Sydney Olympic park & at all the Eastern
suburbs beaches, so they are certainly still about in Sydney.
Jenny Stiles
-----Original Message----- From: Michael Hunter
Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2020 10:46 PM
To: <>
Subject: Starlings
Hi everyone,
Where have all the European Starlings gone. ? Once were thousands
in Sydney, none. seen for a few years around Penrith, Springwood or elsewhere.
Zero.
? Disease, Have I missed something ?
Their absence not a regret , just a mystery.
TIA
Michael
Sent from my iPhone
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