Differences between Falcon and Starling

Falcon and Starling are two classes of birds that belong to the Falconidae and Sturnidae families respectively.

Falcons are birds of prey. They are known for their agility and sharp vision. They have superior hunting skills, characterized by quick identification, chase, and capture. Their back, head, and wings are bluish grey, while their neck and belly are white with greyish black markings. The skin around the beak, the legs, and feet are yellow. The beak of Falcons is sharply bent at the tip, where they also have a sharp tooth that helps in killing the prey. The talons on the feet are long, sharp, and curved. The Falcon family includes about 40 species.

Starlings are resplendent song birds that are short and stout. There are about 110 species of Starlings across the globe. The birds have short tails and flat wings. Their bills are slender, pointed, and yellow. They are fierce, aggressive, greedy, and smart birds. The plumage of these birds is a sparkling purple green during summers, while they turn brown with white spots in winters. The feet are strong and bright orange or brown in color. Starlings are known as noisy birds. They can produce a plethora of sounds, like chirping, chattering, whistling, and rattling. Further, they can imitate the calls of other birds, human voices and words, mobile ringtones, car honks, and several other sounds.

Where are Falcon and Starling found?

Falcons live everywhere where they can find food. They flourish near coastlines, but can be found in river valleys, mountains, deserts, grasslands, and forests too. They exist in all parts of the world, except Antarctica.

Starlings are commonly seen in agricultural lands, parks, gardens, grasslands, and cities. The bird is native to Europe and Asia. Having been introduced to other parts of the world, they can also be found in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Canada, and Caribbean Islands.

What do Falcon and Starling eat?

Falcons are carnivores and chiefly eat other birds, pigeons being their favorite. They prey on birds like doves, gulls, ducks, bats, and waterfowl. Falcons are capable of seizing birds in mid-air. They sometimes also eat fish, frogs, squirrels, mice, and insects.

Starlings are omnivores. They forage mainly on the ground. So, they chiefly eat larvae, worms, insects, beetles, grasshoppers, snails, seeds, nuts, and fruits.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between Falcon and Starling

• Falcon do eat Fish while Starling may not eat Fish.
• Both Falcon and Starling eat Frogs.
• Both Falcon and Starling eat Lizards.
• Both Falcon and Starling eat Snakes.
• Falcon do eat Turtles while Starling may not eat Turtles.
• Falcon do eat Squirrels while Starling may not eat Squirrels.
• Gophers are commonly eaten by Falcon while Starling do not eat Gophers.
• Baby Ducks are commonly eaten by Falcon while Starling do not eat Baby Ducks.
• Falcon do eat Mice while Starling may not eat Mice.

Size of Falcon and Starling?

When it comes to size, Falcons are usually 15-60 centimeters long. Their wingspan could be 74-120 centimeters.. Starlings are tiny birds. They are about seven to nine inches long with a wingspan of 12-17 inches. Nias Hill Myna is the largest in the family with a length of nearly 14 inches.

The average weight of Falcons is 1.5-3.3 pounds. The male birds weigh 0.73-2.20 pounds, while the females weigh 1.5-3.3 pounds. The Gyrfalcon is the heaviest of all species. It weighs 3.3 pounds. while Starlings weigh about 2.04-3.5 ounces. Nias Hill Myna weighs the heaviest among all Starling species at 14 ounces.

Where do Falcon and Starling nest?

Falcons do not build their nests. They use tree holes, ledges in cliffs, or discarded nests of other birds to lay their eggs. Both partners engage in incubating the eggs, which hatch in 29-32 days. The young birds will be able to fly when they are about six weeks old. Nevertheless, they stay under their parents’ care till they are about 10 weeks old.

Starlings make their nests in scattered colonies. The nests, made of grass and twigs, are mostly built in holes and cavities of trees and buildings. They are usually located 10 to 30 feet above the ground. The eggs are oval and a soft green or blue in color. The female bird largely incubates the eggs for about 12 days. The chicks get fed by both parents in the nest for three weeks, after which they fledge.

How long do Falcon and Starling live?

The average lifespan of Falcons is 13 years, although they may live up to 16-20 years in the wild. Many birds die young due to malnutrition. Several adults are also recorded to be dying early because of habitat loss, DDT poisoning, airplane accidents, and environmental issues.

The average lifespan of Starlings is two to five years in the wild. They live longer in captivity. The wild birds roost in groups and migrate in winters to extend their lifespan. The life expectancy of Starlings is affected by high mortality of baby birds, scarcity of food, hunting, and predator attacks. The oldest lived starling was nearly 23 years old. It was found in the wild in Denmark.

Are Falcon or Starling migratory birds?

Not all Falcons migrate. Peregrines from Alaska and Greenland migrate to USA and South America during winters. The Amur Falcon migrates in winter from Russia and China to India and South Africa. Most other species remain in their habitats throughout the year if the climate is favorable.

Migration of Starlings depends on their geography. The ones living high up in the northern hemisphere move southward during winters. In the UK, they relocate from the west coast to the east coast. The birds from North America and Canada usually move to the USA. The Asian species travel from northeastern regions towards the south and west. Some species also stop over in the Middle East and North Africa.

Do Falcon and Starling fly in flocks?

A group of Falcons is called a cast or cauldron. Falcons are solitary birds. They live, hunt, and migrate alone. They socialize only in the breeding season.

A flock of Starlings is called murmuration. The birds are extremely gregarious and live in large flocks comprising of several hundreds to thousands of birds. Flocking helps the birds to stay safe from predators and keep themselves warm at night. It also gives them an opportunity to communicate with each other about sources of food.

Are Falcon or Starling protected?

Falcons are protected across the world under various laws like Migratory Bird Act, Wildlife Conservation Act, and the International CITES treaty. The vulnerable species are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Starlings are not protected in major parts of the world. Only a few countries like the UK and Canada have laws prohibiting harming and hunting of the birds. Starlings are largely considered as pests because they destroy crops like grapes, strawberries, apples, and figs besides many other fruits and seeds. They also consume water and feed kept for livestock, while contaminating the feed with their droppings. To save their crops and livestock from the nuisance, farmers kill Starlings by shooting and poisoning them.

Are Falcon or Starling endangered?

Falcons are not endangered. The American Peregrine was classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act in 1970. However, it was removed from the list in 1999. The existence of the bird was threatened owing to DDT poisoning. However, the banning of DDT together with other recovery projects have saved the species from becoming extinct.

Starlings are not endangered birds. However, their population is falling drastically in several parts of the world, especially the UK.

Can Falcon and Starling fly?

Falcons are splendid flyers. They have thin, tapered wings that help them to cut down drag and fly in high speeds. With sharp eyesight, the birds can dive at speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour to capture their prey. The average flying speed of Peregrine Falcons, the fastest animal in the world, is 242 miles an hour. Falcons are solitary travelers that fly about 15,500 miles each year. Amur falcons are the longest migratory birds in the world. They fly over 13,600 miles at a stretch.

The flight of the Starling murmuration is a sight to behold. The birds fly in massive groups that could even consist of over 10,000 birds. The swarm could include other Starling species and other bird species as well. Starlings fly in different patterns to maintain fluid formation. As the birds swoop and swirl, the shift in pattern is seamless, synchronous, and swift. The avian behavior is a result of extreme coordination. Each bird always aligns itself to the immediate seven birds around it. The murmuration is intended to keep the flock safe and intimidate the predators with the enormity. It also helps the birds to conserve energy during long flights. Starlings are known to be able to fly at speeds of 37-50 miles an hour. During migration, they travel up to 620-930 miles in a day.

Can Falcon and Starling swim?

Falcons do not swim. The structure of their body and feet are not ideal for swimming. However, some Falcon species dive into water to catch the prey.

Starlings are not regular swimmers although they can manage to swim. They regularly bathe in water to keep their plumage clean and reduce body temperature in summers.

Mating patterns among Falcon and Starling

Falcons start mating when they are about two years old. The male performs courtship displays in the air to attract the female. He also fetches preys for the female, who in turn shows her acceptance by perching in a suitable spot. The female typically lays three to four eggs, which are around two inches long and pink or brownish in color. Both partners take turns to incubate the eggs. After the eggs hatch, the female usually sits on the young ones to keep them warm while the male gets food for her. The partners protect the young ones by attacking anything that intimidates them.

At the onset of the breeding season, the male Starling birds find a nesting location and prepare the base of the nest using grass and leaves. He then perches at the nesting site, singing and waving with his wings to attract the female. The male and female are said to have paired when they partner to complete the construction of the nest and carry out other activities together. The partners raise one to two broods each year. Each clutch typically consists of three to six eggs.

When is the mating season for Falcon and Starling ?

Falcons are lonely birds that come together only during mating. The mating season depends on the location. It is generally March-July.

The mating season for Starlings depends on the geography. Typically, it is during April-June. Starlings could make breeding attempts more than once a year.

Do Falcon and Starling mate for life?

Falcons are monogamous and mate for life. They also tend to use the same nest every breeding season.

Starlings are monogamous during each breeding season. Nevertheless, the male could look for a mate when his partner is incubating the eggs. Female birds who have not mated during the season could be aggressive towards those who are mating the second time.

How do Falcon and Starling sleep?

Falcons are active during the day, although they may take occasional naps. They sleep during the night while standing on one leg and resting their head on their back.

Starlings choose roosting sites that are safe from predators and shielded from harsh weather. They tend to sleep more during winters. They sleep for less than five hours in summers and around three hours on full moon nights. When the flocks gather at roosting sites, they perform avian stunts and spend time in communication before resting for the night.

Can Falcon and Starling be eaten?

Falcons were eaten in the past in some cultures like Hare and Strait. They ate the bird meat by boiling, frying, or roasting. However, consumption of Falcons is no longer permitted by stringent conservation laws.

Starlings are widely consumed by people. Their meat is cooked in different ways. They are a regular meal in countries like France. Killing the birds for meat is allowed in several nations.

Can you hunt Falcon or Starling?

Hunting of Falcons was widespread for sport, falconry, feathers, skin, and meat. Although hunting has reduced due to strict laws, falconry is still practiced in countries like United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Austria.

Starlings are not protected in most countries. They are hunted for sport and meat. They are also hunted and killed for the destruction they cause to agricultural lands and livestock.

Can you feed Falcon or Starling?

It is illegal to feed wild birds in many countries. However, in countries like the USA, one can own and feed Falcons. The birds are carnivores and should be fed insects, rodents, and ground meat.

Starlings eat worms, berries, and fruits. At agricultural lands and livestock farms, people often have feeding stations for Starlings to prevent them from attacking crops and the feeds reserved for livestock. The birds are fed with peanuts, sunflower seeds, mealworms, egg powder, and leafy greens.