Starling Kuldnokk Sturnus vulgaris
Prologue
The great spotted woodpecker that has occupied the nest box since January has not come in the camera’s field of view the last two nights – after all, the “drumming period” has started and maybe even a mate has been found?
Early in the morning, at 6.30, the first starling visited the nestbox. There is enough daylight and such a “mansion” must be looked after.
The conflict started at about 7 o’clock, when a second male starling came to inspect the nestbox (the first video shows the start of the conflict).
In about the 4th minute probably a female arrives at the nestbox. Against her no aggression at all is shown; when the scuffle begins again she flies out of the nest. It looks as if the female checks who is the stronger part in the fight?
Having observed such incidents outside the starling box for decades I could not imagine that in the nestbox a life-and-death struggle was going on.
For owning the stately mansion together with the lady of one’s heart the fight went on for more than an hour. When they were no longer able to fight they kept each other in a strong grip, and after a little rest the fight went on again and everything was repeated in the same way.
The second video clip shows that the owner of the nestbox became the male who finally managed to drive off the competitor from the nestbox.
The new arrival in the nestbox should be a female, but the male, tired from the fight, was so stressed and overexcited that he attacked even the female briefly. The latter showed herself humble so that the male’s attack should blow over.
The eye of the female crouching to the right of the nestbox is surrounded by a narrow yellowish-white eye ring. The eye colour of the male is brown.
Shortly after 9 o’clock the starling pair left the nest and during the day none of the ones seen earlier have returned to the box.
In the afternoon we could only see a momentary visit by one starling a little after 5 o’clock. No one arrived to spend the night.
Morning is wiser than evening and maybe more interesting too.
