Starling

Starling control: how to stop starlings, place by place

Starlings create two different problems, and they need different answers. A roost needs the perching surface denied. A nest needs the cavity closed, and only once it is empty. As our bird control FAQs explain, heavy fouling under a roost is acidic, damages the fabric of a building and can make walkways slippery, and nests can block gutters and downpipes. Nesting birds also return to the same site year after year.

Starlings are much smaller than pigeons and go straight through pigeon spikes and pigeon netting, so starling work needs closer spacing and a finer mesh.

How to stop starlings on ledges, sills and gutters

The Small Species Plastic Bird Spike is a low profile spike designed to stop starlings and sparrows perching. Its pins are 62mm high, which makes them hard to see from the ground, it protects ledges up to 10cm deep, and each metre is three snappable strips that you bond with adhesive. The starling and sparrow stainless steel spikes are 316 grade stainless steel with 240 points per 600mm strip, and can be glued or screwed in place. See the starling spikes range and our guide to fitting bird spikes.

How to stop starlings where you cannot fix spikes

Ornaway optical bird repellent gel sits in low-profile dishes that are glued to the surface, and its product page gives starling spacings: 10cm to 15cm apart at night roosts and nesting areas, and wider at occasional roosting spots. It also comes in pre-filled dishes. Bird Free Fire Gel comes in ready-made trays that can go on vertical surfaces as well as ledges.

How to stop starlings nesting in roofs, soffits and cavities

A nesting cavity is closed rather than covered. 28mm starling netting is knotted, UV stabilised polyethylene that does not absorb water or stretch, in stock sizes or cut to size to the nearest metre. Starling and house sparrow nest from March to August, so close cavities outside that period, and never close one that is already in use.

How to stop starlings in loading bays and warehouses

Where starlings roost inside a building or under a canopy, 28mm netting excludes them from the whole space. Fitting Bird-Scape escape funnels into the net gives any bird caught behind it a one-way route out, which matters because a net must never trap a bird inside. Our anti bird netting installation guide explains how a net system goes together.

How to keep starlings off gardens and open areas

Over open ground, a tethered hawk kite scares pest birds including starlings, provided it has at least 40 square metres of clear space and is brought down in strong winds. The BirdXPeller Pro plays starling distress calls over up to an acre of open ground, and works better alongside a visual scarer.

Starling deterrents by location

Starlings and the law

Starlings are protected, and starling is on the red list of birds of conservation concern. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird, or to take, damage or destroy a nest while it is in use or being built. Natural England's public health and safety licence, GL41, names four species, and starling is not one of them.

Proofing needs no licence, provided the method does not injure the bird or trap it or seal it into a space it cannot leave. That is why a net or a cavity block is inspected and maintained rather than fitted and forgotten. Scotland and Wales issue their own licences. Our guide to bird control and the law sets out the full position.

When to have starling proofing installed

Starlings nest from March to August, so plan proofing for outside the nesting season, check that any cavity is empty before it is closed, and have it finished before nesting starts in March. EnviroGuard supplies the products and does not install them, but if you would rather not work at height, we can arrange it for you.

Starling control questions

What deters starlings?

Products made for small birds. Small-species spikes stop them perching on ledges, repellent gels protect surfaces that cannot take a fixing, 28mm netting closes cavities and larger spaces, and scarers such as the hawk kite and BirdXPeller Pro move them on from open ground.

What size netting do I need for starlings?

28mm. Anything wider lets a starling through. For sparrows, which are smaller still, use 19mm sparrow netting.

Are starlings protected?

Yes. All wild birds are protected, and starling is red-listed. You may proof against them without a licence, but you must not disturb a nest that is in use.

How do I scare starlings away?

On open ground, a hawk kite or the BirdXPeller Pro, which plays starling distress calls, can move them on. On a building, it is more reliable to deny the roost with spikes or gel and to close nesting cavities once they are empty.

More bird control guides

• Anti bird netting installation
• How to fit bird spikes
• Bird spike costs: price per metre and installation
• Bird control and the law
• bird control installers: who fits what we supply