It seems to me that Starlings and European settlers who first came to America have a lot in common. Neither was indigenous to the continent. Both were introduced species. Think about how Europeans treated the indigenous people, the Native Americans. There are many similarities. 
 
On a lighter note, we have found that spraying grape flavored juice on our feeders seems to repel Starlings. We are down to only one pair this spring! 
 
We have many Northern Flickers in our area. Our home is surrounded by the Sunset Mesa Open Space which is acres of native unspoiled beauty included a protected species of tree called the One Seed Juniper. We even have a pair of these juniper in our backyard!  And lots of native Gambel Oak. The Flickers pose a nuisance by drilling into the sides of homes in our neighborhood. (We do not mind when they do this to our home; actually our Ute friends have taught us that they look upon the Flicker as a sign of a happy home and to them the Flicker is especially sacred). In an effort to help educate our neighbor to the north and assist them with the problem they experienced this year when a Flicker pair decided to build (another) nest in the side of their home, we installed a Flicker Nest Box on the trunk of a dying Poplar tree on our property that borders our neighbor to the north. Their Flickers produced 2 fledglings and we think they were driven out of their nest early- they then sealed the hole to the nest cavity with a metal strip. We saw the Fledglings in our yard after that and the parents were feeding them.
 
We glued some ice cream spoons over the hole in the Flicker Nest Box to deter Starlings. The Flickers almost immediately pecked the hole open, but then they left. We do not know why, but the Flickers in our area always leave after the breeding season ends. They return in the Fall and spend the Winter, then breed in the Spring and leave again. Our son lives in the downtown area of Colorado Springs and across the street from his house is a very old grove of Ponderosa and other pine trees. The Flickers in his neighborhood stay there year-round.
 
Anyway, the Flicker left and it was not long before "our" pair of Starlings tried to take possession of the Flicker Nest Box. We did not allow that to happen.  We immediately re-sealed the hole by gluing a light wooden tray from a cigar box over the hole and drilling an opening for the Flickers to peck at when they return. This was around Memorial Day. The Starlings left but on 16 June the pair re-appeared at our backyard feeders. No young with them, only the pair.
 
I have attached some photos I took yesterday of them enjoying a bath at our pole mounted watering station.  Everytime I see them I think how much we have in common.  To me the Starlings are the Europeans and the Flickers are the Native Americans.