Everyone will have different ideas about what is required to keep his or her individual starling happy and healthy. Below is our own checklist specifically for our European starlings. We see our starlings as irreplacable, loving companions, and we want to keep them healthy and content. They deserve the BEST we can do for them! So, we make sure that Stormy, Sunny and Shadow have the following:

	Very large cages that allow our starlings to fly and exercise when confined
	Cages located in a spot where they feel secure, preferably in a main living area of our home so they can be part of our family activities
	Well-maintained, regularly cleaned cages
	Several different sizes of rough tree branch perches in their cages
	A variety of safe toys in their cages, occasionally rotated to prevent boredom
	Daily access to a separate water container large enough for a starling to bathe and splash
	A proper diet high in animal protein, served fresh daily, and occasional treats consisting of veggies or fruits
	Clean, fresh drinking water supplied throughout each day
	A smoke-free, fume-free household environment.
	Bird-proofed, safe play areas in our home
	Frequent attention from their humans -- being held, spoken to and acknowledged during the day
	Long periods of time out of their cages daily for free flight and exercise, and for just spending time with their favorite humans.
	Protection -- the humans they trust keeping them safe from other pets, dangers, and visitors
	Patience and understanding from caring owners who know that birds cannot be taught by yelling at them, hitting them, or spraying them with water
	An experienced avian vet who will treat them with compassion and and professionalism
	A regular daily routine that they can count on
	A consistent nightly bedtime schedule
	Lots and lots of love and spoiling from their family members on a daily basis