European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Also called starling.
All the starlings in North America descend from about a hundred birds released in New York in the 1890s. The short tail and long bill give it a distinctly front-heavy, triangular look in flight that nothing else shares.
- Size
- Robin to jay — 20–23 cm
- Bill
- Thin and pointed
- Where
- city, open field, feeder, yard
- Season
- year round
What it looks like
Glossy black with green and purple iridescence, covered in white spots in winter and nearly unspotted in summer. A short square tail and a long pointed bill — yellow in spring, dark in autumn.
The checks that confirm it
- A very short square tail with a long pointed bill — the shape is diagnostic in flight.
- White spotting in winter, glossy and nearly plain in summer.
- Bill turns bright yellow in the breeding season.
- Walks rather than hops.
Voice
A jumble of whistles, rattles and clicks, with accurate imitations of other species and of mechanical sounds.
Attracting it
Not something most people want to attract. Suet and platform feeders draw large flocks; caged suet feeders and tube feeders exclude them.
Confused with
Much longer keel-shaped tail, pale yellow eye, and a heavier bill.
Shorter conical bill, brown head on the male, and no spotting.
Questions about this bird
How do you identify a european starling?
A very short square tail with a long pointed bill — the shape is diagnostic in flight. White spotting in winter, glossy and nearly plain in summer.
What does a european starling sound like?
A jumble of whistles, rattles and clicks, with accurate imitations of other species and of mechanical sounds.
How do you attract a european starling?
Not something most people want to attract. Suet and platform feeders draw large flocks; caged suet feeders and tube feeders exclude them.