It's THAT time of year again......

[lizzie]

to have starling for breakfast! Haha

This is the time of year for starlings to start showing up looking for apartments to rent on my martin houses. I saw two of them out there at around 0730 today, which is early for them to be visiting. They normally show up between 0900 and 0930.
My area (thank goodness) is not heavily inundated with starlings, and I usually only see 2-5 at a time. Populations of them are MUCH higher in town.

The longer I have Augustine, my R10 I bought last year, the more I love it. I haven't shot this gun for a few months, and first shot took starling #1, and the second shot took down the other. It may have been a pair, as one was male and one, female, but I don't know if starlings normally start pairing up for breeding this early in the year.

And for any of you who have not tried starling meat....it's QUITE good!

[lizzie]

I decided to make starling fajitas with these two....in retrospect, I should have cut the starling breasts into small strips, but it was quite tasty just as is!

I just stir-fried the starling breasts with some diced onions and bell pepper, and sprinkled on some fajita seasoning, then folded inside a flour tortilla.

[ranchibi]

Lizzie, excellent shots on both of those 2 starlings! Protecting the Martin’s homes and making some meals for yourself...and getting to shoot..a win win win! LOL! That meal looks scrumptious!

[Bicycleman]

Liz,
#1 - That looks like it may have been very tasty.
#2 - I have no starling in this neighborhood.  And even if I did, I can't shoot here.
#3 - There is a big pot of Gumbo cooking as I type this note.  So, I won't starve.   

[lizzie]

Randall- thank you!
And I do highly recommend trying starling for table fare if you shoot them. They are a little bit "tough", but nothing that makes them unpleasant to eat. The meat is a very dark fine-textured meat.

[lizzie]

Mike.....thank Goodness you won't starve! LOL

Btw, I think starling would make a great gumbo too! The only thing is that it would take months of saving them in the freezer to have enough for making a pot of gumbo. Hehe

[Airspace]

I wish not having them around was a problem I had. They are thick in my area. At certain times during the colder months with a good scatter gun I could eliminate 25 or 30 with one shot. I seen a flock last week that I rough counted over 100 birds in a small front yard, I honked my horn just to breakup the party. As I passed they were starting to gather back.

[lizzie]

I wish not having them around was a problem I had. They are thick in my area. At certain times during the colder months with a good scatter gun I could eliminate 25 or 30 with one shot. I seen a flock last week that I rough counted over 100 birds in a small front yard, I honked my horn just to breakup the party. As I passed they were starting to gather back.

If i had that many starlings here, and i could shoot 20 to 30 at a time, they would be a main staple of my diet!

[Wayne52]

Lizzie if I had the opportunity to shoot more than I have been I'd stock up on a bunch of them, maybe I can find a farmer this coming summer that'll let shoot them on his property.  I've yet to eat them but from what I've heard is that many people absolutely love them.

[lizzie]

Lizzie if I had the opportunity to shoot more than I have been I'd stock up on a bunch of them, maybe I can find a farmer this coming summer that'll let shoot them on his property.  I've yet to eat them but from what I've heard is that many people absolutely love them.

That would be great! Driving around the countryside here, i dont see many, but 6 miles away in town, they are horrific like a scary movie!

[mrbulk]

I decided to make starling fajitas with these two....in retrospect, I should have cut the starling breasts into small strips, but it was quite tasty just as is!

I just stir-fried the starling breasts with some diced onions and bell pepper, and sprinkled on some fajita seasoning, then folded inside a flour tortilla.

Hmmm, so she cooks as WELL as shoots!
😎😎😎😎😎

[Airspace]

If you want attract them buy a couple pounds of cracked corn and broadcast spread it. If there are any within miles that fly over they will find it. I have to buy wild bird seed without corn to keep them away from my feeders. I've been told cornmeal works also but if it rains its destroyed.

[ranchibi]

Randall- thank you!
And I do highly recommend trying starling for table fare if you shoot them. They are a little bit "tough", but nothing that makes them unpleasant to eat. The meat is a very dark fine-textured meat.

Thanks Lizzie, I will definitely try! I will tenderize (pound it) it to make it as tender as possible as I want my wife to try it and so I’d have to make it tender for her palate!

[Rick67]

Randall- thank you!
And I do highly recommend trying starling for table fare if you shoot them. They are a little bit "tough", but nothing that makes them unpleasant to eat. The meat is a very dark fine-textured meat.

Thanks Lizzie, I will definitely try! I will tenderize (pound it) it to make it as tender as possible as I want my wife to try it and so I’d have to make it tender for her palate!

[dk1677]

Nice shooting Lizzie!

[ranchibi]

Randall- thank you!
And I do highly recommend trying starling for table fare if you shoot them. They are a little bit "tough", but nothing that makes them unpleasant to eat. The meat is a very dark fine-textured meat.

Thanks Lizzie, I will definitely try! I will tenderize (pound it) it to make it as tender as possible as I want my wife to try it and so I’d have to make it tender for her palate!

Richard...LOL but true 🤗

[KevinJBrown]

Nice shootin'

I've never heard of anyone eating a starling. I always thought of them as pest and thought they would taste bad (like eating crow). I don't see very many in my yard to try them out, but if I shoot some I will.

[Sqrl Klr]

Looks good Liz! Have you pressure cooked any of them yet? Might make them more tender if you don't want to use marinade with tenderizer.

KB crow is surprisingly good when cooked up right. I saw a guy on tv(sportsman channel) try them and he was shocked to admit they were good. It's been so long I can't remember how they were cooked up though. 

[lizzie]

I decided to make starling fajitas with these two....in retrospect, I should have cut the starling breasts into small strips, but it was quite tasty just as is!

I just stir-fried the starling breasts with some diced onions and bell pepper, and sprinkled on some fajita seasoning, then folded inside a flour tortilla.

Hmmm, so she cooks as WELL as shoots!
😎😎😎😎😎

Lol....and even better, I LOVE to cook! Hah!

I never had tried starling until a couple of years ago, when it occured to me that it was food going to waste out in the field, unless vultures happened to find them, plus I was married for 30 years to an ethical hunter who hunted for food, not for heads, and I think that's a laudable thing to do.
I was very pleasantly surprised!

[lizzie]

If you want attract them buy a couple pounds of cracked corn and broadcast spread it. If there are any within miles that fly over they will find it. I have to buy wild bird seed without corn to keep them away from my feeders. I've been told cornmeal works also but if it rains its destroyed.

You know, it is really strange, but I have been feeding the birds here for about 15 years, and have never seen a starling out there at all. I have put out suet for the woodpeckers, cracked corn and large millet for the doves, small millet for the titmouse and finches, and nyger seed for the goldfinches. It's hard to believe that the starlings seem to have never discovered the feeders.