Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Starling

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

The Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, is a medium-sized passerine bird characterized by its glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen. Throughout the year, the plumage is speckled with white, though less so during the breeding season. Adults measure approximately 20 cm in length, with pink legs and a seasonally changing bill color—black in winter and yellow in summer. Juveniles display browner plumage compared to adults.

Identification Tips

To identify the Common Starling, look for its iridescent black feathers, which may appear purple or green when reflecting light. The bird's bill is black in the winter and transitions to yellow in the summer, aiding in identification. The starling's flight is strong and direct, with pointed wings that are distinctive in the air. On the ground, its waddling gait is notable.

Habitat

Common Starlings are highly adaptable, favoring urban and suburban areas where they find ample nesting and roosting opportunities. They also inhabit grasslands, such as farmlands and pastures, where short grass makes foraging for invertebrates easier.

Distribution

Native to temperate Europe and western Asia, the Common Starling has been introduced to Australia, New Zealand, North America, and other regions. Its range extends from Europe to northern Africa and across the Palearctic to western Mongolia.

Behaviour

The Common Starling is a gregarious bird, especially in autumn and winter, forming large flocks known as murmurations. These flocks are thought to be a defense against predators. On the ground, starlings forage in groups, often following grazing animals to feed on disturbed invertebrates.

Song & Calls

The Common Starling's song is a varied mix of melodic and mechanical sounds, including mimicked noises from other bird species and the environment. Males sing to attract mates and defend their territory. Calls include a harsh alarm scream and a variety of social chatters.

Breeding

Breeding occurs in the spring and summer, with the female laying four to five glossy, pale blue eggs in a nest built within a natural or artificial cavity. Both parents share incubation duties, and the young fledge after about three weeks.

Similar Species

The Spotless Starling is similar in appearance but can be distinguished by its lack of iridescent spots in adult breeding plumage and longer throat feathers.

Diet and Feeding

Omnivorous, the Common Starling's diet includes a wide range of invertebrates, seeds, and fruit. They employ various foraging techniques, such as probing the ground and catching flying insects.

Conservation Status

Despite declines in some European populations, the Common Starling's global population is not considered to be declining significantly. It is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Common Starling Sounds



Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Common Starlings on Birda

Photos
Sightings

Similar species

A photo of a Blackbird (Turdus merula) , male

Blackbird

Turdus merula

More Starlings, Rhabdornis

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
EandB17
Terrific App for Birders
Downloaded Birda around the time my interest in birding was sparked, and it has been a terrific app to help me (1) share my experience, (2) document my sightings, and (3) learn more about birds in general. That said, I also believe Birda is a fantastic app for birders of all experience levels. Great community!
Marlster24
Recommend for any bird watcher
Very wholesome app: I joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😃
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Chudbond
Love Birda
I love this app. It really encourages you to log your sightings and the community is friendly and helpful.
Tralisalandhoop
Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
Jane N
A great app
Enjoying it immensely and finding it useful too. Recording the different birds and counting them is showing me how the present climate is affecting them all. I've trebled the numbers by planting native hedging. A great app.
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.