Common starling

Sturnus vulgaris

A glossy dark starling with pale speckles, famous for huge evening flocks that move like waves across the sky.

Key facts

Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is an omnivore animal classified as Bird · Passeriformes · Sturnidae.
Primary habitats are grassland · urban · forest, with a range across Palearctic · Nearctic · Australasian · Afrotropical.
Activity is diurnal, sociality is herd, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
A glossy dark starling with pale speckles, famous for huge evening flocks that move like waves across the sky.
Uses grassland, farmland, cities, parks, and woodland edges, and has been introduced far beyond its Eurasian native range.

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Uses grassland, farmland, cities, parks, and woodland edges, and has been introduced far beyond its Eurasian native range.

The plumage is black with purple and green iridescence. Winter birds are heavily speckled, and bill color changes with season.

Flocks forage together and gather in very large roosts. Its voice includes complex calls and mimicry.

It eats insects, earthworms, fruit, seeds, grain, and human scraps.

Nests are placed in tree holes, buildings, or boxes, where chicks are fed protein-rich insects and other food.

In introduced areas it can damage crops and compete with native cavity-nesting birds.