Sturnus vulgaris
The Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, is a medium-sized passerine bird, renowned for its dazzling iridescent plumage and remarkable adaptability. Measuring 19-22 cm (7.5-8.7 in) in length with a wingspan of 31-44 cm (12-17 in) and weighing 60-90 g (2.1-3.2 oz), adults display a glossy black body with a vibrant purple-green sheen, adorned with white speckles during the non-breeding season. Its short tail, pointed wings, and strong yellow bill (darker in winter) are distinctive field marks. Ta...
Highly adaptable, Starlings inhabit a wide range of open and semi-open habitats, including urban and suburban areas, agricultural lands, pastures, and open woodlands, typically from sea level up to moderate elevations.
Starlings are omnivorous, primarily feeding on insects, particularly beetle larvae and grubs extracted from the soil, supplemented by fruits, seeds, and occasionally human refuse, especially in urban environments.
Common Starlings are diurnal and highly social, forming massive communal roosts, especially outside the breeding season, which can number in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of birds. They are opportunistic ground foragers, probing the soil with their strong bills or gleaning from surfa...
The Common Starling boasts an extensive native breeding range across Europe and western Asia, extending from Iceland and Scandinavia south to the Mediterranean, and east through Russia to Mongolia and northern China. Northern populations are largely migratory, moving south and west for the winter...
Least Concern
- The Common Starling was deliberately introduced to North America in 1890 by Eugene Schieffelin, a Shakespeare enthusiast, who released 60 birds in New York City's Central Park, hoping to establish every bird mentioned in Shakespeare's works. - Their spectacular aerial displays, known as 'murmur...