I have starlings that nest in my loft every year. I’m happy to have them there as they don't cause any trouble. Additionally, starlings are now listed as endangered, and roofs are important habitats for them. I like to do my bit to help wildlife when I can.
However, yesterday a starling fledgling poked its head through a small hole in my kitchen ceiling where my water pipes run. It seemed to be calling for its parents. My kitchen is currently being renovated, so those pipes haven’t yet been boxed up. I’ve temporarily covered the hole with some cardboard.
I’m a bit worried because I don’t think I’ve heard the parent starlings since the weekend. Normally, I hear them scuttling around on my porch roof. Should I be concerned or am I worrying too much? How long should I wait before checking on the fledgling and possibly calling a wildlife rescue?
I really dislike going up into the loft as it’s very cramped, there’s no proper flooring, and it’s full of spiders. I’m hoping I won’t have to go up there. I have my fingers crossed that I’ll hear the adult starlings soon. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Hi Camilla, you could try here to get some expert advice as to how to proceed ...
www.helpwildlife.co.uk/.../
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Hi Wendy,
Thank you for your advice.
I contacted Brambles Wildlife Rescue who advised me to have a really good look inside the loft to make sure it was okay.
I then thoroughly inspected the loft with a builder's light but couldn’t see the starling anywhere. To be sure, I even cut a larger hole in the ceiling and used my camera phone to take a 360-degree view, but still found nothing.
After researching starling growth stages and the age at which they leave the nest, I believe there’s a good chance it has already fledged. From the photos I reviewed, it seems likely that it has reached the stage where it can leave the nest.
Additionally, there was a lot of renovation noise in my home yesterday, which might have disturbed the starling and prompted it to leave. Hopefully, it's safe and doing well.
it fledged safely and does well!