European Starling photo

European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Least Concern

The European Starling might look plain from afar, but up close their feathers shimmer with purple and green iridescence, covered in tiny white spots like stars! They're incredible mimics that can copy other birds, car alarms, and even human speech.

In autumn, starlings gather in huge flocks called 'murmurations' - swirling clouds of thousands of birds performing incredible aerial ballets at sunset!

Size

About the size of a robin

Small (15-25 cm)

Wingspan: 40 cm

Weight: 80 g

Colors

black
green
purple

Habitat

urbangrassland

Diet

insectsberriesseeds

Fun Facts

  • Their murmurations can include over a million birds!
  • They can mimic over 20 different bird species.
  • 100 starlings released in New York in 1890 became 200 million!
  • Their spots wear off during breeding season.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Great news! This bird is doing well. There are lots of them in the wild, and they have safe places to live and find food.

Population trend: stable ➡️