HISTORICAL USE OF BAMBOO CANE AS BLACKBIRD AND STARLING ROOSTING HABITAT - IMPLICATIONS FOR ROOST MANAGEMENT

The historical use of bamboo/cane as blackbird and starling roosting h abitat was analyzed from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service roost survey r eports to assess the potential for shifting roosting populations away from objectionable urban sites where there may be nuisance or human he alth concerns. The following criteria were used to assess this potenti al: (1) frequent historical use by blackbirds and starlings compared w ith other habitat; (2) history of accommodating high bird densities on a limited area compared with other habitat; (3) history of repeated l ocalized utilization by roosting blackbirds and starlings; (4) history of utilization over a wide geographic range; and (5) history of occup ation by starlings and all major blackbird species. Of the diverse hab itat historically reported to be used by wintering blackbirds and star lings for roosting, bamboo/cane uniquely appeared to meet all criteria as a widely used habitat that supports maximum densities of all prima ry roosting species. The possible ecological attractiveness of bamboo/ cane as roosting habitat is discussed. Although the data are lacking t o suggest that cane is sufficiently attractive to shift roosting behav ior of blackbirds and starlings from objectionable sites, bamboo/cane is clearly a candidate for further research into this concept.