Starlings · Perching birds
European Starling
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Sturnus vulgaris
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Voice
Song
Call
Song
How to recognize it
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About 20 cm long
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Black plumage with a metallic sheen; white speckles in winter
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Yellow bill in the breeding season, dark at other times
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Walks or runs on the ground rather than hopping
About the species
In good light, its dark plumage flashes green or purple, and in winter the feathers are dotted with pale spots. The bill turns yellow in summer and brownish-black in winter, while its pinkish legs show clearly as it walks. Young starlings are browner, but adults regain their glossy look after the late-summer moult.
On the ground, it walks or runs rather than hopping, pushing its bill into short grass and prising it open to search underneath. Its song moves from whistles to "click-click" notes, squeaks and snatches of other species’ calls or everyday sounds; a sound it heard only once may turn up in its repertoire. Outside the breeding season, starlings gather in large flocks, wheeling together before settling to roost.
Look for it on lawns, playing fields and other short-grass patches, often near parks or buildings with holes for nests. It probes for insects and worms, then readily switches to seeds, fruit or food scraps. Northern populations often move south or west for winter, while many in western and southern Europe stay year-round.
Did you know?
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500 km off course
Young European Starlings displaced 500 km from the Netherlands to Switzerland kept their innate compass heading instead of correcting for the move, and wintered hundreds of kilometres south of their population's usual range.
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Riding cows for insects
Starlings perch on the backs of grazing cows and pick off blood-sucking insects, turning the herd into a mobile feeding station.
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City beggars
In crowded city spots, starlings pick up the habits of pigeons and sparrows and practically beg for food at outdoor diners, while their countryside kin stay wary.
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Where to find
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On short-cut city lawns, a European Starling strides through the grass and probes the soil for insects.
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In spring, listen for a male's varied song near the entrance to a tree hollow or building cavity chosen as a nest site.
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In city gardens and parks before nightfall, look for noisy flocks gathering in the branches to roost.
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At low tide on exposed coastal flats, watch for invertebrates being picked from the wet ground.
