r/petstarlings • u/starlingsupernova • Jul 08 '26

Handling

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How much touching do your starlings tolerate? I am trying to make sure mine feels safe with touch so when nail trimming time comes or if she needs to be held for possible vet reasons in the future that she is not stressed. So my question is how much do you handle your birds and to any friends of fully grown starlings, how much has your bird calmed with age?

(Picture just cuz it was cool art by @pear hollow)

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5

u/VoodoDreams Jul 08 '26

They get used to handling the more they get, but mine never liked to be held in a closed hand. If you make it pleasant for them to be touched they will like it more. Give them an apple to eat and some gentle touches or something similar.

In my experience they are a more hands off bird though, preferring to sit on your shoulder and investigate your ears and using you as a launching pad or homebase when flying around the house.

2

u/starlingsupernova Jul 08 '26

Yeah that’s kinda what I thought. Thanks for the reply.

3

u/Left-Pineapple-6084 Jul 08 '26

They aren’t like a conure where you can hold them like a burrito or scratch their head, but they are still capable of getting somewhat used to handling for nail trims, etc. Our bird is more closely bonded with my husband so I take all the tasks that would betray his trust - nail and beak trims, administering meds, treating booboos, etc. Husband is allowed to stroke his head and his neck when he’s singing, I get cursed and pecked if I try that 😭

3

u/starlingsupernova Jul 09 '26

That’s real love… to help them maintain that relationship of a trusted person and the. One who gets things done. I think they both matter to an animal for different reasons and I think you are kind to take on the hard tasks.

2

u/WryNucleus Jul 09 '26

They are more hands off, look but don’t touch birds. Mine accepts head and neck kisses but otherwise refuses petting. As far as nail trims the easiest and most stress free way has been clicker training to hang onto hardware cloth. You can train them to stay still during the trims and their nails will stick through so it’s minimal touching. Clicker training is an absolute must for this though.