Field Guide
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Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Not yet photographed by the community
Iridescent plumage and extraordinary murmurations.
Species Profile
Red List (declines in breeding population and range since 1994)
- Lifespan
- 2–3 years in the wild; up to 20 years in captivity
- Size & Weight
- 19–23 cm, wingspan 31–40 cm; 60–100 g
- Habitat
- Open woodlands, grasslands, parks, gardens, farmland, and urban areas with access to nesting cavities and feeding grounds.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout the UK as a resident species, with additional winter visitors from continental Europe arriving September to March, making populations much larger in winter.
- Diet
- Highly omnivorous, feeding on insects (particularly during breeding season), earthworms, fruits, seeds, berries, and invertebrates gleaned from the ground or vegetation.
- Prey
- Invertebrates including beetles, flies, grasshoppers, and earthworms; also grains and berries
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, other raptors, and occasionally magpies and crows; cats take some individuals.
- Mating Season
- March to August
- Breeding
- Clutch size 4–6 eggs; incubation 11–13 days; fledging 18–22 days; typically 2 broods per year; nests in tree cavities, cliff crevices, or building cavities.
- Behaviour
- Highly social birds, forming large flocks especially in winter; famous for spectacular murmurations where thousands wheel and turn in coordinated aerial displays. They are vocal, noisy birds with a variety of calls and song-like chattering. Starlings often visit gardens and urban areas in groups, walking on the ground with a distinctive jerky gait.
- •Starling murmurations can involve thousands of birds and create breathtaking aerial patterns, thought to provide predator avoidance and thermoregulation benefits.
- •They are cavity nesters and compete aggressively with native species like great spotted woodpeckers and nuthatches for nesting holes.
- •Starlings are excellent mimics and can imitate the calls of other bird species and even mechanical sounds.
- •Their plumage changes seasonally: breeding birds are glossy black with iridescent sheen, while winter birds are heavily spotted white on a dark background.
- •UK starling populations have declined by approximately 80% since 1994, primarily due to changes in farming practices reducing invertebrate availability.
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