Do Starlings Steal Other Birds’ Nests? The Shocking Truth

Part of our guide on effective window stickers for birds

Starlings don't wait for a nest to empty—they invade occupied cavities, destroy what's inside, and move in while the original owners are still defending it.

What starlings actually do to other birds' nests

Starlings are cavity nesters that cannot excavate their own holes. They depend on woodpecker cavities, natural tree hollows, and nest boxes. When they find a suitable site already occupied, they don't wait for it to empty. They force their way in.

The invasion is violent. Starlings peck at adult birds trapped inside the cavity, often killing bluebirds, Tree Swallows, and chickadees that cannot escape quickly enough. They destroy eggs by puncturing them or tossing them out. Nestlings are killed the same way or removed and left to die on the ground.

Once the original occupants are gone, starlings move in with their own nesting material: grasses, feathers, and trash. They raise their brood in the stolen site. The takeover happens fast, usually within 24 to 48 hours of the first attack.

Starlings also pull nesting material from other birds' nests, including open-cup nests built by robins and sparrows. They don't take over these nests because starlings require enclosed cavities. But they will steal twigs, moss, and feathers to line their own. For the detail, see our notes on abandoned bird nest with eggs.

Which birds starlings target and kill

Starlings go after any cavity-nesting species with an entrance hole larger than 1.5 inches. Eastern Bluebirds are the most common victims because their preferred nest boxes have 1.5-inch holes, which starlings can just barely squeeze through. Tree Swallows face the same problem.

Woodpeckers lose cavities they spent weeks excavating. Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Northern Flickers all suffer nest takeovers. Starlings wait until the woodpecker has finished the hole, then kill any eggs or young inside and claim it.

Chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches are also at risk, though their smaller entrance preferences (around 1.25 inches) offer some protection. Starlings attack them less often but will kill adults if they can get inside. People in this spot often ask about crows stealing eggs from birds as well.

House Sparrows compete with starlings for the same cavities, and the two species fight each other as well as native birds. Purple Martins, which nest colonially in apartment-style houses, lose entire compartments to starling pairs.

Do starlings kill other birds directly

Yes. Starlings kill adult birds by trapping them inside cavities and pecking at their heads and bodies. Bluebirds and swallows cannot defend themselves in the confined space. The attacks last minutes to hours, depending on how long the victim survives.

Starlings also kill nestlings and fledglings by grabbing them and throwing them from the nest. Baby woodpeckers, bluebirds, and chickadees are found dead below invaded cavities, often with puncture wounds or broken necks. If that sounds like your situation, read up on blue jay nest attacks next.

Adult woodpeckers sometimes escape because they are larger and more aggressive. But their young rarely survive. Starlings destroy entire broods to clear the cavity for their own eggs.

Robins and other open-cup nesters are not killed by starlings. Starlings raid their nests for materials but leave the adults and young alone because the nest structure does not suit starling needs.

Why starlings remove items from their own nests

Starlings pull material out of their nests for two reasons. First, they adjust the nest structure as the season progresses. Early in nesting, they use coarse grasses and twigs. As eggs hatch, they remove some of this bulk to make room for growing chicks. The other half of this decision is bird dove are they nest builders.

Second, starlings are compulsive builders. They continue adding and removing material even after the nest is functional. You will see them carry in feathers, then toss out old grass, then bring in more feathers. The behavior seems wasteful but is normal for the species.

If you see a starling removing eggs or young birds from a nest, it is clearing out a nest it just invaded, not its own. Starlings do not destroy their own broods unless the nest site becomes unsafe or overcrowded.

How to protect native birds from starling attacks

The single most effective defense is a 1.5-inch entrance hole or smaller. Starlings cannot reliably fit through holes smaller than 1.5 inches, though some slim individuals squeeze through. Bluebird boxes should use 1.5-inch holes, and chickadee boxes should use 1.125 to 1.25 inches.

Install starling-resistant nest boxes with oval or slot entrances. An oval hole measuring 1.25 by 2 inches (vertical orientation) excludes starlings while admitting bluebirds and swallows. Woodpeckers and chickadees benefit from round holes in the smaller range.

Monitor nest boxes weekly during the breeding season, which runs March through July in most of the US. If you find starling nesting material (coarse grasses mixed with trash, feathers, or string) remove it immediately. Starlings will return, so check again within two days.

Trap starlings legally where local regulations allow. Many states permit trapping of European Starlings and House Sparrows because both are invasive species not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Use a nest-box trap or a repeating sparrow trap baited with suet or mealworms.

Do not place nest boxes within 100 feet of livestock areas, barns, or large open fields. Starlings concentrate near farms and food sources. Boxes placed in wooded edges or hedgerows suffer fewer invasions.

For woodpecker cavities in trees, there is no practical protection. You can only provide alternative nest boxes nearby and hope the woodpeckers use those instead.

• 1.5-inch entrance or smaller: starlings cannot reliably fit through smaller holes
• Oval or slot entrances: 1.25 by 2 inches vertical blocks starlings, admits bluebirds
• Weekly monitoring: remove starling material within 48 hours of discovery
• Trapping: legal in most states for invasive starlings and House Sparrows
• Box placement: 100+ feet from barns and livestock areas reduces starling pressure

When starlings take over squirrel nests and other non-bird structures

Starlings do not take over squirrel dreys (leaf nests) or ground burrows. They require enclosed cavities with a small entrance. A squirrel nest in a tree fork is open to the elements and offers no protection from the sides.

However, starlings and squirrels do compete for the same tree cavities. A squirrel that excavates a hollow for winter shelter may abandon it in spring, and starlings move in. The reverse happens too: starlings evicted by squirrels in late summer when squirrels start claiming winter dens.

Starlings nest in building vents, eaves, and attic spaces. They enter through gaps as small as 1.5 inches and build nests in wall cavities, dryer vents, and bathroom exhausts. The nests block airflow and create fire hazards.

To exclude starlings from buildings, cover vents with half-inch hardware cloth and seal gaps around soffits, fascia, and roof edges. Check for nests in early spring before eggs are laid. Removal is harder once young have hatched.

Questions people still ask

I pulled a starling nest from a bluebird box last spring and found three punctured bluebird eggs buried in the grass. That box now has a 1.25-inch slot entrance, and the bluebirds fledged two broods this summer without trouble.