HABITS OF STARLINGS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 220, 13 June 1933, Page 7

HABITS OF STARLINGS

Nesting-place at Moturoa ALLY OF THE FARMER Dominion Special Service. New Plymouth, June 11. ' Few aspects of life In the bird, kingdom, are more interesting than ■ the habits of starlings. - They are gregarious birds of fixed habits, and mostpeople in New Plymouth and,the surrounding districts are familiar with the sight-of flocks of thousands of these birds making each night for their nesting place at. Moturoa. . ■ Here' they roost on the Saddleback, one of . the Sugar Loaf islands, in almost. countless numbers. There is probably not a larger starling roost in New Zealand. When, the birds are all settled down for the night they , are jammed tightly together so' that they are hardly able .to move. Small and young vegetation on the island has largely, been, killed, and the bigger shrubs are simply covered with birds at night-time. In the nesting season the female birds lay their eggs in any suitable crevices or corners. They usually nest in November, and the young birds'hatch out in December. For at least 50 years the Saddleback has been the home of North Taranaki starlings, < which- each day fare. forth for distances of up to at least 20 miles in all’landward directions. Then they return at night, sometimes fairly late, in huge flocks that may be a chain across and two or three chains long. A certain jirocedure is observed when they arrive at their island home, the flock circling' round several times before it breaks up into smaller groups, which land on various parts of the island.

The starling is an invaluable ally to the North Taranaki farmer, for he is the natural enemy of the grass grub, which might, do very serious damage but for its being kept in check by this voracious bird,, which, according fo English naturalists, eats each day food equal to twice its own weight.