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www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2023170118 The European starling can transform a natural environment from one teeming with many species to one overrun by a single species.
Starlings spread disease by discarding half-eaten food sources or defecating where it is touched or ingested by another animal. A problem as mundane as high levels of bird droppings may seem trivial, but when millions of European starlings roost in a single neighbourhood for more than a few days, it can put real strain on sanitation workers and inhabitants of the area. It spread diseases, contribute to cyanobacteria growth, global worming local heatwaves, can cause problem of high CO2 level boosting solar radiation with higher methane concentration. birdfeederhub.com/reasons-why-the-european-starling-is-a-problem/ The global population was estimated to number 150,000,000 mature individuals (A. Panjabi in litt. 2017). The population in Europe, which forms approximately 55% of the global range, is estimated at 28,800,000-52,400,000 pairs, equating to 57,700,000-105,000,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015). The global population of common starlings was estimated to be 310 million individuals in 2004, occupying a total area of 8,870,000 km (3,420,000 sq mi). Widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, In Europe, the population has been undergoing a moderate decline between 1980 and 2015 (EBCC 2018). Likewise, the introduced population in North America has declined between 1970 and 2014 (51% decline between 1966 and 2015 based on the North American Breeding Bird Survey [Sauer et al. 2017]). Therefore, the global population is tentatively assessed as being in decline. New study show top 10 most abundant birds in the world, and their approximate global population estimates, are House Sparrow (1.6 billion), European Starling (1.3 billion), Ring-billed Gull (1.2 billion), Barn Swallow (1.1 billion), www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2023170118 These birds have a reputation for damaging fruit and grain crops—though they also consume harmful insects—and usurping native songbirds’ nest holes (see also invasive species). S. vulgaris feeds on the ground and flies in tight flocks; vocal year-round, it mimics other birds’ notes and utters wheezy sounds of its own. They frequently form large flocks called murmurations, which may move in synchrony in order to avoid predators. Such murmurations are avoided by aircraft, since collisions have resulted in air crashes in different parts of the world. This bird is extremely social, and large groups can number in the millions. These groups, called flocks, grow larger in the cold months, and they roost in huge numbers. When flying, these large flocks form a mass in the air, and are easily recognizable. www.nytimes.com/2022/04/04/travel/starling-murmurations.html European Starling Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers. In addition to being obnoxious and loud when in groups, starlings can cause property damage by accumulation of starling droppings. Starlings carry a plethora of diseases. Avian salmonellosis (primarily, Salmonella enterica) has been documented in starlings (Feare 1984). This disease is transmissible to humans, poultry, and livestock. Chlamydiosis (also psittacosis, ornithosis, parrot fever) usually results from inhaling Chlamydophila psittaci that lives in dried feces. Starlings and blackbirds can infect humans and domestic fowl with C. psittaci (Grimes 1978, Grimes et al. 1979, Andersen et al. 1997). Starlings also carry Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis, which causes Johne’s disease in cattle (also known as paratuberculosis) (Matthews and McDiarmid 1979, Corn et al. 2005). The bacteria are excreted in feces and milk. Johne’s disease costs the United States (US) dairy industry $200-250 million, annually (Beard et al. 2001, Ott et al. 1999). Starling fecal matter can pass transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) to swine. Although the evidence is largely indirect and circumstantial, it is believed that during the winter of 1978-1979 starlings served as vectors for an outbreak of TGE in Nebraska that caused the loss of 10,000 swine in one month (Pilchard 1965, Bohl 1975, Gough et al. 1979, Johnson and Glahn 1994). Shiga toxinproducing Escherichia coli (STEC) is another disease the may be transmitted by starlings to cattle. In the cattle industry, annual costs of illnesses related to E. coli STEC exceeded $267 million (NCBA 2004). Humans get this disease when consuming tainted food products, especially ground beef. Knowledge of the movement patterns of starlings would be critical to understanding the real role that starlings have in epidemiologies of these diseases. By disturbing soil or flooring at blackbird and starling roosts, humans can become ill with histoplasmosis, a fungal disease of the lungs caused by Histoplasma capsulatum (DiSalvo and Johnson 1979, Storch et al. 1980). Histoplasmosis recently was reported at a manufacturing facility in Nebraska used by starlings (J. Hobbs, personal communication). People at highest risk of exposure, however, are those working in agriculture, particularly poultry, or those coming in contact with bird or bat roosts that might have been abandoned a decade or more prior to disturbance (DiSalvo and Johnson 1979). Finally, West Nile virus (WNV) was confirmed in North America in 1999 and since that time has spread across the US. This is a serious, and life-threatening disease to humans and wildlife. Sullivan et al. (2006) found that red-winged blackbirds are WNV hosts and can disperse diseases along their migratory routes. The role of starlings in dispersing WNV is unknown, but starlings can act as hosts for the virus (Bernard et al. 2001), and thus may be involved in spreading the disease among vertebrates including, humans, horses, and birds. ECONOMIC IMPACTS Pimentel et al. (2000) estimated that yearly starling damage to agriculture was US$800 million, based on a figure of US$5/ha. In 1999, three feedlot operators in Kansas estimated a loss of $600,000 from bird damage alone (US Department of Agriculture 2000). Data reported in 1968 from Colorado feedlots indicated the cost of cattle rations consumed during winter by starlings was $84 per 1,000 starlings. With the current cost of feed, the associated losses would certainly be much higher. In Idaho, some livestock facility operators estimated that starlings consumed 15 to 20 tons of cattle feed per day. The costs associated with starlings in the spread of livestock disease may be more important than food consumption. For example, the 10,000 pigs lost in Nebraska might be valued at nearly US$1.0 million in today’s market.
As these, Slearnbirdwatching.com/birds-that-dive-bomb-humans/European starlings are of medical concern because more than 25 diseases and ectoparasites have been associated with them, their nests and droppings. Diseases include encephalitis, histoplasmosis, Newcastle disease, chlamydias and salmonellosis. The ectoparasites include primarily mite species which can bite humans or infest domestic animals, causing extreme discomfort. European starling droppings may also cause components of steel buildings to degrade and lead to significant structural damage. In addition, starlings are also known for bird strikes of aircraft, causing at least one crash with fatalities. There are a number of reasons why they engage in this aggressive behaviour: 1. Natural Instinct:For many bird species, dive-bombing is a natural instinct when they feel their nest or young are being threatened. They may view humans as a potential predator and act accordingly to protect their offspring. While this behaviour can be intimidating, it is usually not harmful to humans. To avoid being dive-bombed by European starlings, it’s important to be aware of their nesting areas and to keep a safe distance. Additionally, wearing a hat or carrying an umbrella can provide some protection from the birds’ sharp beaks.learnbirdwatching.com/birds-that-dive-bomb-humans/ I suppose it all can get wrong when we interfere with it, taking into account its mimicking abilities. And am sure that they are harmful for any environment they live in in short. All above content is directly copied from websites you which you can check for credentials.
Scavenging behaviourwww.researchgate.net/publication/233390676_Scavenging_behaviour_of_common_starlings_Sturnus_vulgaris
New study reveals alarmingly massive economic costs of biological invasions to the European Union phys.org/news/2023-06-reveals-alarmingly-massive-economic-biological.html?fbclid=IwAR35rbAlNAIIQm1za3yCdNsa5KYViyKjoZhMfF7G5bagFSvYhwFOBlZxW48
Australia has biosecurity alert:
Review of nonlethal and lethal control tools for managing the damage of invasive birds to human assets and economic activities
They possibly could help Starling Control | Starling Control Products | Bird B Gone
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