European starlings are often scorned by bird-watchers for their aggressive behavior. But there's more to these colorful birds than you know.
How to Identify a European Starling
Updated on Aug. 08, 2024
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What Does a European Starling Look Like?
The European starling gets its name not from its starry markings, but from the way its short, tapered wings make the bird look like a four-pointed star in flight. Audubon Upper Mississippi River’s Tara Hohman explains why starlings look different at different times of year. “Breeding adults are iridescent greenish-black,” she says. “They have a yellow bill and pink legs. In the non-breeding season they will typically get a lot of white spotting along their feathers, and their bill will go from yellow to black.”
Juvenile starlings, on the other hand, are pale brown.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “Many people don’t realize just how colorful the European starling can be. Those reflections of purple and green are hard to see unless the light is exactly right. When the feathers are fresh, each one has a buff or white tip, creating a spangled look. And each feather on the wing is edged with rich golden brown. Starlings are not native to North America, and they sometimes cause problems for native birds. But since they’re here to stay, we have learned to appreciate their beautiful colors.”
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Winter Plumage
“This bird was on my deck one winter morning and I can’t identify it. What is my mystery bird?” asks Linda Harbour of Wareham, Massachusetts.
Kenn and Kimberly say, “Although it’s not a rare bird, the European starling can be confusing when you see a lone individual in its full winter plumage. Most of us are more accustomed to seeing starlings in large flocks, or during spring or summer when they’re more solidly black. In fresh winter plumage, the starling has a beautiful pattern, with tan edges on the wings and big tan and white spots all over. The spots on this bird are important field marks. The starling’s shape, with spiky bill and short tail, helps to identify it in all seasons.”
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Range and Habitat
Unfortunately for birders whose feeders are overrun by them, European starlings are widespread across the United States. That wasn’t always the case. One hundred non-native European starlings were first released into New York City’s Central Park in 1890 and 1891 in an attempt to bring all birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays to America. The attempt was successful — and today, more than 200 million starlings populate the continent. “They are U.S.-wide and year-round residents,” Tara says. “When you see them, you’ll always see them.”
Starling habitat varies. Adaptable birds, they’re able to thrive in a variety of locations where people are present, including towns and suburbs. Tara mentions that they’re often spotted in large numbers in agricultural fields.
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European Starling Nests
It’s not uncommon for European starlings to take over cavity nesting sites and nest boxes from woodpeckers, bluebirds and other native species. “We have a bunch of kestrel boxes where we are, and starlings love to use the ones that don’t get used by kestrels,” Tara says. “They’re the perfect size for them, unfortunately. If they’re not finding natural cavities that are large enough for them, that’s where they’ll go.”
Starlings typically raise one or two broods in a nesting season, with a clutch size of three to six blue or greenish eggs. Nests consist of whatever’s around: trash, flowers, feathers, and more. “I’ve seen pretty much everything under the sun,” Tara says. “It just depends whether they’re nesting by a garbage can, a flower bed, or a duck pond.”
Most birds and their nests are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which states that it is illegal to take, possess, import, export, transport, sell, purchase or barter any part of a nest or eggs unless you hold a valid permit. However non-native birds, like the European starling, aren’t protected by these laws.
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What Foods Do European Starlings Eat?
If you see a starling stabbing its bill into the ground, it’s probably looking for insects for its next meal. These birds also eat berries and seeds, and suet, and it’s not unusual for them to consume an entire suet cake in one day.
Backyard birders tend to dislike starlings’ aggression at feeders. To deter them, look for starling-proof upside down suet feeders, or set up a suet feeder under a squirrel baffle. Birds & Blooms field editor Ken Wellnitz has had luck with safflower seed, saying it “attracts cardinals, finches, mourning doves and other songbirds, but starlings do not like it. They used to rule the feeder, at times.”
Tara’s advice? Temporarily remove the food source. “The one method that I’ve tried and heard other people mention — and it’s not a one-time fix — is taking your feeders down, waiting for the starlings to disperse out, and then putting your feeders up until they find them again,” she says. “I don’t think it’ll be a permanent fix, but you can at least get some relief.”
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European Starling Calls and Sounds
Bird sounds courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
“They make a lot of different vocalizations, but they’re all rough and gravelly,” Tara says. “Their unique calls are going to be slurred whistles, chatters, and hisses.”
While European starlings don’t have a striking or melodic song, they’re known for an impressive ability: mimicry. Like mockingbirds, catbirds, and other avian mimics, starlings imitate the songs of killdeer, cowbirds, flickers, and more. In captivity, starlings can also be taught to mimic human speech. “They’re kind of like parrots,” Tara says. “They sound very real and lifelike.”
Starling Murmuration
At certain times of year, starlings fly in massive flocks that also include grackles and red-winged blackbirds. These large groups of birds then create amazing, whirling balls in the sky. This phenomenon is called a murmuration.
“There were hundreds of these birds stripping nearby berry bushes one September morning. After I took this photo, I was surprised to learn that these birds are young starlings. I’d always thought that starlings only had black feathers,” says Birds & Blooms reader Melissa Rowell of Vestal, New York.
About The Experts
Tara Hohman is the conservation science manager for Audubon Upper Mississippi Flyway. Her scientific work has included point count surveys and avian monitoring for species such as golden-cheeked warblers, piping plovers, and more. She holds a bachelor of science degree in wildlife biology from Texas State University, and a master of science degree in environmental science and policy from University of Wisconsin – Green Bay.
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
Sources
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology – “European Starling: Life History“
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918
