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Starlings have visited my feeders this winter, but not in their usual droves. I sometimes I have to stop feeding peanuts for awhile in the winter because they can be such piggies and empty a feeder in an afternoon.
Perhaps the continuous presence of a Cooper’s Hawk in the neighborhood is preventing them from really chowing down. Dozens of the birds sit in the trees and squawk, but only a handful visit the feeders at a time and they don’t stick around very long.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds website, starlings can fly up to 48mph and mimic the songs of over 20 birds. Their favorites to mimic include the American Robin, Red-tailed Hawk and Eastern Wood Pewee.