> ...The long legs of the starling allow him to stand over his victim, freq=
uently pinning the other bird=20
> to the ground or bottom of a nest cavity. Gripping his victim with sharp =
claws, the starling then uses=20
> his dagger-like beak to stab and drill downwards. In a rabid frenzy, the =
starling continues to stab and=20
> drill over and over again while twisting his head from side to side and p=
ushing his beak forward against=20
> his victim=92s body. Such prolonged, intense mechanical action causes the=
starling's beak to remove=20
> feathers, pierce flesh, and may eventually inflict mortal wounds. Starlin=
gs can easily peck out eyes,=20
> puncture internal organs, and even drill through a bird's skull. The star=
ling literally becomes=20
> possessed in a killing frenzy and will cling tenaciously to his opponent =
and try to inflict as much=20
> damage as possible.

Wow. Perhaps we could try tethering Starlings in Great Blue Heron colonies =
to fend off Bald Eagles.

Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Olympia, Washington
Reply to: mcallkrm at dfw.wa.gov