European starlings nest in cavities, both natural and man-made, stuffing them with dry grass, feathers, and fresh herbs. They’re aggressive nesters that will take over woodpecker holes, building vents, eaves, and just about any enclosed space with an opening larger than about 4 centimeters. If you’ve found a starling nest on your property or want to know what to expect from one, here’s what you need to know.
Where Starlings Build Their Nests
Starlings are cavity nesters, meaning they don’t build open cup nests in tree branches like robins or sparrows. They need an enclosed space with a hole to enter through. In the wild, they prefer freshly excavated woodpecker cavities or natural openings where a tree limb has broken off. They’re well known for evicting other birds from these holes, including woodpeckers and even small raptors.
In suburban and urban areas, starlings exploit nearly any gap in a structure. Common spots include gaps under roof eaves, dryer and bathroom vents, openings in chimneys, holes in building siding, and spaces behind signs or light fixtures. They strongly prefer sites near mowed grass or open ground, which is where they do most of their foraging. Starlings are remarkably opportunistic: researchers have documented them building nests inside aircraft engines and control surfaces on planes that sat inactive for only a few days, introducing material that could cause mechanical failure or fire.
The minimum entrance size a starling can squeeze through is about 3.8 centimeters (roughly 1.5 inches) in diameter. Any hole smaller than that keeps them out. This measurement is useful if you’re trying to protect birdhouses intended for smaller species or seal entry points on your home.
What the Nest Looks Like Inside
A starling nest is a loose, bulky pile of material that fills much of the cavity. The base is primarily dry grass, straw, and pine needles, along with feathers, string, paper, plastic, and whatever else the birds can carry. Males do most of the initial construction, often starting several nests in different cavities before a female selects one and finishes lining it.
What makes starling nests distinctive is the addition of fresh green herbs and plants. Starlings actively seek out aromatic vegetation like yarrow, elder, cow parsley, and willow leaves and weave it into the nest material. This isn’t decorative. Research from NC State University found that herbs in the nest change how parents behave: birds with herbs in their nests attended the nest more consistently, maintained better egg temperatures, and started their active day earlier. The effect appears to be pharmacological rather than insulating. Several of the plants starlings choose have known sedative properties, and researchers believe the herbs may calm the parents enough to keep them sitting on eggs longer. The payoff is real. Hatchlings in herb-containing nests developed faster in the egg and gained body mass more quickly after hatching.
Eggs, Incubation, and Nestling Timeline
A typical starling clutch contains four or five eggs. The eggs are pale blue to blue-white with a smooth, slightly glossy surface. Both parents share incubation duties, though the female does the larger share. The incubation period averages about 12 days and 6 hours, with most eggs hatching within a window of roughly 11.8 to 13.3 days.
Hatchlings emerge helpless, covered in sparse grayish down, weighing only about 6.4 grams (less than a quarter of an ounce). Their eyes remain closed for the first six to seven days. Both parents feed the nestlings a diet heavy in insects, grubs, and other invertebrates. The nestling period lasts 21 to 23 days, at which point the young birds fledge and leave the cavity. Even after fledging, parents continue feeding the juveniles for a short period as they learn to forage independently.
Many starling pairs raise two broods per season. A five-year study in Ithaca, New York found that roughly one in five banded females successfully raised a second brood after completing the first. Second broods typically only happen when the first brood was raised without interruption or failure. No evidence of a third brood has been documented.
Starling Nests and Property Damage
A single starling nest may not seem like much, but starlings are colonial and social. Where one pair nests, others often follow, and the accumulated nesting material, droppings, and debris can cause real problems. Nests built inside vents block airflow and create fire hazards, particularly in dryer vents where lint buildup combines with dry grass. Nests in gutters and downspouts cause water backup and moisture damage. The acidic droppings can corrode metal and stain surfaces over time.
Bird Mites and Health Concerns
The most common household pest associated with starling nests is the bird mite, specifically the starling mite (Ornithonyssus bursa), which is the species most likely to bite humans. These mites live in the nest and feed on the birds’ blood. While the nest is active and occupied, the mites stay put. The problem begins in the first few weeks after the birds leave. Without their preferred host, the mites migrate into the home looking for a blood meal and will bite people.
Bird mite bites cause itching, swelling, and raised reddish spots on the skin. They can lead to secondary infections from scratching but are not known to transmit any infectious disease. If you’re removing an old starling nest, wear gloves and a mask to avoid direct contact with mites and any bacterial contamination in the nest material.
Removing a Starling Nest
European starlings are an introduced species in North America and are not protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This means you can legally remove their nests, eggs, or birds without a federal permit in the United States. This is a significant distinction from nearly all native bird species, whose nests are federally protected even when empty. (Local or state regulations may still apply, so checking with your state wildlife agency is worthwhile.)
The most effective long-term solution is exclusion: sealing the entry points starlings use to access cavities. Repair broken roof tiles, cover vents with hardware cloth or purpose-built vent guards, and block gaps in eaves and soffits. Any opening 3.8 centimeters or larger is a potential nest site. If you’re installing birdhouses for native species like bluebirds, using an entrance hole of 3.8 centimeters or smaller will keep starlings out while still admitting the intended occupants.
Timing matters if you want to minimize repeated effort. Removing a nest before eggs are laid forces the pair to start over but doesn’t necessarily drive them away. Removing nesting material repeatedly over several days, combined with sealing the entrance, is more effective than a single removal. If a nest already contains eggs or chicks and you’d prefer to wait, the entire cycle from egg-laying to fledging takes about five weeks.