Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

BirdSongbirdIntroduced Worldwide

Overview

The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is a stocky, short-tailed songbird with a sharp pointed bill and iridescent plumage that shifts green and purple in good light. In winter it is heavily spangled with pale spots; by spring the spots wear away and the bird looks darker and glossier.

Starlings are best known for murmurations: enormous flocks that wheel and pour through the sky in coordinated waves before dropping into a roost. Each bird responds to a handful of near neighbours, and those local rules produce the shapes seen from the ground.

They are also outstanding mimics, weaving imitations of other birds and of mechanical sounds into a rambling song of clicks, whistles and rattles.

Habitat & Range

Starlings are native to Europe, western Asia and North Africa and have been introduced to North America, southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. They thrive in open and modified landscapes — farmland, pasture, parks, gardens, towns and cities — and nest in cavities in trees, cliffs and above all buildings. They roost communally, sometimes in enormous numbers, in reedbeds, woodland and city structures.

Diet

Starlings are omnivores with a seasonal shift: invertebrates dominate in spring and summer — especially leatherjackets, beetle larvae and other soil invertebrates probed from short grass — while fruit, berries, seeds and grain become more important later in the year. They feed on the ground with a distinctive open-bill probing technique that pushes grass apart to expose prey.

Behavior

Starlings are highly social outside the breeding season, feeding in flocks and gathering at communal roosts. Murmurations occur as birds assemble before roosting and are widely interpreted as anti-predator behaviour and as a way of sharing roost information. Starlings nest in cavities and compete strongly for them. Their mimicry is extensive, and individual males incorporate a wide range of imitated sounds into their song.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Starlings have one of the most complicated relationships with people of any bird. Introduced populations — most famously in North America — expanded enormously and are treated as invasive because they compete for nest cavities with native cavity-nesters and gather in large numbers around agriculture. At the same time, in parts of their native European range starling numbers have declined substantially, generally linked to agricultural change reducing the soil invertebrates they need. This profile offers no wildlife-control guidance. Verify current status at the IUCN Red List.

Sourced facts

Each value below is traced to the specific reference that states it. Open a row's evidence to see the source, where to look in it, and how firmly it supports the value. Sources checked 2026-10-09.

Sourced facts about the Starling, with the reference supporting each
Fact	What the source states	Evidence
Geographic range	Native to the Palearctic, from Central Siberia to the Azores and Norway to the Mediterranean; introduced to North America in 1890; now in every biogeographic realm except the Neotropics.ADW's region tags also list the Ethiopian region as native and the Oriental and Australian regions as introduced; the prose gives no detail for Africa, Asia or Australia.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Geographic Range Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Habitat	Lowland, non-mountainous terrain; when breeding needs holes to nest in and vegetated fields to feed in, otherwise moorland to salt marshes; nests in holes in trees, buildings and rooftops.ADW's habitat tags add urban, suburban and agricultural areas.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Habitat Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Diet	Omnivore that pries food open with its bill: seeds, insects and other invertebrates, vertebrates, plants and fruit; commonest are centipedes, spiders, moths, earthworms, berries and orchard fruit.'Orchard fruit' summarises ADW's apples, pears, plums and cherries.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Food Habits Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Body size	Adults about 21.5 cm long; average wingspan 40.0 cm.Same figure for both sexes.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Body mass	70.0 to 100.0 g (2.5 to 3.5 oz).One range for both sexes, stated in two units by ADW.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Lifespan	The longest recorded wild starling lived 15 years 3 months.A longevity record, not a typical lifespan; ADW gives no typical figure. Its data field labels the same record (183 months) 'Average lifespan'. Captive maximum said to be slightly longer, no figure given.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Lifespan/Longevity Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Activity pattern	Diurnal.Stated only as an ADW key-behavior tag; the prose describes no daily cycle. ADW says starlings are vocal all year except when moulting.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Behavior Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Social structure	Very gregarious; flocks at all times by one account, and except during the breeding season by another.sources disagreeADW tags the mating system as monogamous, while its Reproduction text describes polygyny producing an 'intermediate clutch'.	Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web — how we know What each reading says Flocks at all times, including while breeding — Animal Diversity Web, Behavior section Flocks except during the breeding season — Animal Diversity Web, Predation section The Behavior section says starlings flock at all times and breed 'in bunches'; the Predation section says they flock except during the breeding season. Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Behavior; Predation Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Distinguishing traits	Iridescent green gloss on back, nape and breast; white or cream flecking on a dusky black ground in winter, mainly on the breast; bill yellow in the breeding season, otherwise black.ADW attributes the winter flecking to erosion of feather tips; it does not say the flecks wear off by spring. Males have a bluish spot at the bill base, females a reddish-pink one.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Conservation status	Least Concern (LC), global assessment, 2019	Matches source · IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — how we know IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits Read from the Red List export IUCN publishes to GBIF; iucnredlist.org itself does not answer automated reads. Categories are reassessed over time.

References for the facts above

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySupports: Range, habitat, diet, body size and mass, lifespan, activity and social structure, as the account states them. Retrieved 2026-10-09.Limitations: A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
ReferenceIUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesSupports: The global Red List category and the year of the assessment. Retrieved 2026-10-09.Limitations: Read from the Red List export IUCN publishes to GBIF; iucnredlist.org itself does not answer automated reads. Categories are reassessed over time.

Frequently Asked Questions — Starling

What is a starling murmuration?

It is the swirling, shape-shifting mass formed by large flocks of starlings before they settle at a roost. There is no leader: each bird adjusts to a small number of near neighbours, and those simple local rules produce the coordinated waves visible from the ground.

Why do starlings have spots?

Their spotting is seasonal. Fresh autumn plumage carries pale tips that make the bird look heavily spangled; through the winter those tips wear away, so by spring the bird appears much darker and glossier without having moulted.

Can starlings mimic sounds?

Yes, and they are among the better mimics of any songbird. Their rambling song of clicks, whistles and rattles is threaded with imitations of other bird species and of mechanical and environmental noises picked up from their surroundings.

Are starlings invasive?

In some places. Introduced populations in North America, Australia and elsewhere have expanded greatly and are treated as invasive, partly because they compete for nest cavities with native birds. In parts of the native European range, however, starling numbers have declined substantially — so the picture depends entirely on where you are.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web — Sturnus vulgaris (European starling) — University of Michigan species account
UniversityCornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds — Cornell University ornithology reference for bird species
Wildlife referenceIUCN Red List of Threatened Species — Authoritative source for current conservation status