Starlings are a type of small songbird that are known for their vocalizations and ability to mimic sounds. They are very social birds that often gather together in large flocks, which can result in them making quite a bit of noise at certain times of year. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at starling vocalizations – discussing why they are so noisy, what types of sounds they make, what times of year they are most vocal, and whether their noise levels are problematic for humans.
Why are starlings so noisy?
There are a few key reasons why starlings tend to be such vocal birds:
- Social communication – Starlings live in large flocks and use vocalizations to communicate with flock mates. Calls help them stay in contact, coordinate movements, and warn each other of predators.
- Territoriality – Male starlings sing to establish nesting territories and attract mates. Their singing peaks during the breeding season.
- Mimicry – Starlings are excellent mimics and incorporate sounds from their environment into their vocal repertoire, including other bird songs, animal noises, and human-made sounds.
- Roosting behavior – Large flocks gather at roosting sites toward evening, engaging in noisy social behavior before settling down to sleep.
In summary, starlings are very social and vocal birds that communicate extensively with flock mates. Their ability to mimic adds to the variety of sounds they produce.
Types of starling vocalizations
Starlings have an impressive array of vocalizations they use to communicate different messages:
- Songs – Long, varied, melodic combinations of whistles, trills, and mimicry. Used for courtship and territorial defense.
- Calls – Short, simple whistles used to maintain contact with the flock. For example, a “quip” call is used by birds joining or leaving a flock.
- Alarm calls – High-pitched whistles or “seet” calls to warn of predators.
- Chatter – Constant soft chattering and muttering among foraging flocks. May act as social cohesion calls.
- Begging calls – Noisy, rasping calls made by juveniles when begging food from parents.
- Mimicked sounds – Starlings are excellent mimics and can replicate a wide range of environmental and man-made sounds.
Starling flocks produce a constant stream of vocalizations as they forage and socialize. The variety comes from the diverse individual repertoires, as each bird has learned different mimicked sounds.
When are starlings most noisy?
Starling vocal activity fluctuates through the seasons in association with changes in their behavior and biology:
- Breeding season – Singing activity peaks as males sing constantly to attract mates and defend nest sites. This lasts from late winter through mid summer.
- Nesting period – Noisy begging calls are produced by chicks in the nest seeking food from parents.
- Flocking season – Large flocks form in late summer and autumn. Chatter increases as flocking species communicate.
- Evening roosting – Flocks gather at roosting sites in evening, engaging in social contact calls and chatter before roosting for the night.
In terms of daily cycles, starlings are most noisy right before and after sunrise and during early evening hours as flocking peaks before roosting.
So in general, starlings are vocal for much of the year but reach their highest levels during the breeding season and when flocking in autumn. Roosting periods are also typically noisy times.
Noise concerns
In some situations, large flocks of noisy starlings roosting or foraging in human-altered environments can potentially create noise conflicts with humans:
- Urban roosts – Large roosts forming in urban areas like building ledges can generate significant evening noise near homes or businesses.
- Farms and orchards – Flocks foraging on farms or orchards can be unwelcome due to vocal activity and agricultural damage.
- Livestock facilities – Flocks roosting or loafing at barns, feedlots or dairies can be problematic.
- Food processing plants – Flocks attracted to food waste near plants can cause noise, mess and damage.
However, in natural environments away from human disturbance, the sounds of starling flocks are generally not problematic. Only in select scenarios where birds congregate in the wrong place around human activities can their normal vocal behavior be viewed as a nuisance.
Various deterrents, dispersal techniques and population controls are sometimes used in problem urban or agricultural situations to reduce starling numbers and minimize noise conflicts with humans.
Conclusion
In summary, starlings are highly vocal songbirds that make a diverse range of noises for communication purposes. Their vocal activity peaks during the breeding season and when flocking in autumn. Large flocks can occasionally cause noise issues when congregating in urban areas or on agricultural facilities. However, in most natural environments their normal vocal behavior is not considered problematic. Their vocal diversity and mimicry ability make starlings a fascinating bird to listen to.
References
- Feare, Chris. 1984. The Starling. Oxford University Press.
- Marzluff, John M., Bowman, Reed, and Donnelly, Robert, eds. 2001. Avian Ecology and Conservation in an Urbanizing World. Springer Science & Business Media.
- Cabe, Paul R. 1993. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America. Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
- Koenig, Walter D., and Liebhold, Andrew M. 2005. Effects of periodical cicada emergences on abundance and synchrony of avian populations. Ecology 86:1873-1882.
- Huffeldt, Nicholas P., and Conway, Courtney J. 2020. Population trends indicate minimal continent-wide impacts of common starling control activities in North America. Biological Invasions 22:3111–3124.
Starling Noise Levels
Starling vocalizations can reach high decibel levels, especially when large flocks are gathered. Here are some estimates of starling noise levels:
Situation | Noise Level (db) |
---|---|
Single starling song | 70-75 db |
Small flock chatter/calls | 60-70 db |
Large roost | 90-105 db |
Very large roost | 100-115 db |
For reference, normal human conversation is about 60 db. Noise above 85 db can cause hearing damage with prolonged exposure. So very large flocks can create significant noise.
Mimicry Sounds
Here are some examples of the types of sounds starlings incorporate into their mimicry repertoire:
- Other bird songs – songs of species like woodpeckers, meadowlarks, bobolinks, Northern flickers
- Bird alarm and contact calls – calls of species like Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe
- Animal sounds – dog barks, horse whinnies, frog croaks, cat meows
- Insects – cricket and cicada song, bee buzzing
- Man-made sounds – telephone rings, car alarms, squeaking gates, bells, sirens, music
- Human speech – fragments of words and phrases
Starlings are able to carefully study and memorize sounds from their environment and weave them into their own vocalizations. Their mimicry acts like a form of vocal learning and helps broaden their repertoire.
Behavioral Changes by Season
Starling vocalizations and noise levels change across the seasons as their behavior changes:
Season | Behavior | Vocalizations |
---|---|---|
Late winter to summer | Breeding, territoriality | Frequent loud singing at nest sites |
Spring to mid summer | Nesting | Begging calls of chicks in nest |
Summer to autumn | Flocking | Increased chatter/contact calls in flocks |
Autumn to winter | Evening roosting in large flocks | Peak vocal activity at roost sites |
Following their seasonal patterns of breeding, nesting, and flocking results in fluctuating vocal activity and noise levels through the year.
Noise Mitigation Strategies
In situations where large flocks of starlings create problematic noise levels for humans, there are some potential control strategies:
- Exclusion – Block access to roosting or nesting sites with netting, spikes, slope modifications, etc. Forces birds to disperse.
- Deterrents – Devices like noise makers, flashing lights, balloons, lasers, falcons can deter flocks from an area.
- Population reduction – Lethal control like trapping or avicide poisoning to reduce numbers.
- Habitat modification – Reduce food/water sources or make area less attractive to birds.
- Timing – Certain deterrents work best at key times like dispersing birds as they arrive at roost site.
- Integrated pest management – Combine multiple strategies like exclusion, deterrents and population reduction for best results.
The goal is not to completely eliminate birds but to shift problem flocks away from areas where they conflict with human noise sensitivity. A wildlife specialist can best advise on effective control methods for a given situation.
Key Points
- Starlings are highly vocal songbirds that communicate with diverse calls and mimicry.
- They are most noisy during breeding season and when flocking in autumn.
- Large flocks can create noise issues near urban roosts or agriculture.
- Control methods like deterrents and exclusion can help mitigate noise problems.
- Their vocal mimicking behavior is a fascinating aspect of starling biology.