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Re: Starling Attacks Flicker Nest



Dear Carolina Birders,

I've seen this same thing happen, back in the 1980's,
between starlings and flickers, but in one case,
unfortunately, the starlings won. The flickers tried
desparately to rid the starlings from their hole, but
to no avail. They broke the flicker eggs and built a
nest in the flicker hole and raised their own family.
I've seen this happen with Red-headed and Red-bellied
Woodpeckers as well.
Meanwhile I have a flicker nesting in an existing hole
in a dead tree (they did not excavate it themselves
this year!) and so far I've only seen one interaction
with starliings, but it was brief and the starling was
successfully chased away.

David A. Brinkman
Cincinnati, OH

--- John Argentati <johna@blue-lizard.com> wrote:
> Dear Birders,
> 
> Yesterday, I noticed a starling checking out the
> nest box occupied by a pair
> of flickers.
> He would sit on the roof with nesting material in
> his beak, eyeing the
> opening.
> My flickers have a habit of hanging their heads out
> the hole so the starling
> didn't try to enter - at least at first.
> 
> Then, I watched in horror as the starling forced his
> way into the nest box
> while an adult flicker was inside.
> I couldn't believe the starling would try this.
> I held my breath...
> 
> Fortunately the flicker successfully fended off the
> starling, but I had to
> wonder whether any of the eggs were damaged.
> 
> This morning, I checked the nest box and found the
> three little pink eggs
> were just fine.
> 
> Here's a picture:
> 
> http://www.mybirdlist.com/FlickerEggs.jpg
> 
> John Argentati
> Greenview Pond
> Raleigh, North Carolina
> 


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