PET EUROPEAN STARLINGS
Information for People with Rescued
Starlings
We
have found that rescued starlings are incredible,
intelligent birds that can live a long time
if properly fed and cared for. Our own starlings
(Stormy, Sunshine, and Shadow) are now ten,
eight, and six years old.
If you are a new starling owner and are wondering
how other starling owners successfully share
their homes with these birds, these webpages
are for you. In this section we offer some
of our thoughts and experiences as starling
owners. Our purpose in doing so is to give
you some insight and ideas about living with
one of these amazing little birds. Remember
that YOU are responsible for deciding how
to do things for your own bird.
Pet
Starling Topics:
Baby Shadow's Photo Albums (What a baby starling looks like) Due to several requests, we have put Shadow's photo albums back online temporarily. His first photo album shows how he looked each day from five days old
to one month old, and his second photo album chronicles his molt into adult feathers.
Keeping
A Starling: Is a starling right for
you? What to expect when raising &
keeping a rescued starling or adopting
a starling. A starling companion
is a longterm commitment, and
a starling is NOT the right pet for everyone.
Feeding
An Adult Starling Stormy, Sunshine, & Shadow's
diet. Why we feed this diet. Foods
to
avoid. Live insects.
Starling
Cages Info about flight cages, cage
furnishings, cage location, cage liners.
Those
Wondrous Wings The importance of free flight.
Why we do not clip our starlings'
wings. Links to info about bird flight.
Nails
and Beaks How wild starlings keep nails
and beaks trim. Maintaining a starling's
nails and beaks.
A
Happy Starling Our
own checklist for healthy, happy pet
starlings
Reminder
-- It
is not the purpose of our
website to teach European
starling care! If you have questions
about caring for a rescued starling
or about raising a baby starling,
please go to the Starling
Talk Website. Thank you.
DISCLAIMER
-- We do NOT condone stealing baby
starlings from nests! Our birds
were found as nestlings in trouble,
and our only option was to raise
each one and keep it. However, when
possible, we always return fallen
baby birds to nests! A starling
raised alone by humans cannot relate
to other birds. It has learned no
survival skills that would have been taught by its parent birds, is dependent on
humans for food, and cannot be released
outdoors. A rescued starling is
a huge responsibility and is not
an appropriate pet for everyone!
NOTE
-- European starlings are not federally
protected in the U.S., yet some
states require a special permit
to keep one. If you rescue a baby
starling and cannot keep it, contact
a wildlife
rehabber, and ask if he or she
rehabs starlings. (Note: Be sure
and ASK, for many rehabbers will
euthanize all starlings taken to
them.) If you cannot find a rehabber
who will raise it for release, then
join the Starling
Talk Message Board. -- Many
rescued starlings have been placed
in good homes via the board.
KNOW
THE LAW -- If you find a wild
baby bird other than a Starling,
Pigeon (Rock dove), or House sparrow,
U.S. law dictates that you cannot
keep it without a Federal Permit.
Contacting a wildlife rehabber in
such a situation is best. For more
info about the laws regarding possession
of native birds, see Possession
of Migratory Birds
