Common, or Eurasian or European, starling
The Common Starling, also known as the Eurasian or European Starling, is a medium-sized bird native to Europe, the Mediterranean region, and Central Asia. This species, measuring 8 to 9 inches in length with a wingspan of about 10 inches, is characterized by its striking black plumage that features iridescent hints of green, purple, and blue, particularly visible in sunlight. Originally found in its natural habitats, the Common Starling has been introduced to various regions worldwide, including North America and Australia, where it has become an invasive species.
Common Starlings are social creatures, often gathering in large flocks for foraging or roosting in urban environments like parks and cities. Their diet predominantly consists of seeds, berries, worms, and insects, along with food from human sources. While they play a beneficial role by consuming insect pests in agricultural settings, they can also be considered nuisances by some due to their potential to damage crops and create messes in public spaces.
During the breeding season, which occurs from April to May, starlings build nests in tree holes or urban structures, laying clutches of five to seven eggs. The young remain in the nest for about three weeks before fledging. Despite habitat challenges leading to localized declines, the overall population of Common Starlings remains healthy, with some individuals living up to twenty-one years.
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Common, or Eurasian or European, starling
The common starling is a species of medium-sized bird originally native to Europe, the Mediterranean region, and Central Asia. It has since been introduced and thrives on other continents. It is notable for its loud sounds, plumage, and its aggressive nature.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
Genus: Sturnus
Species: Vulgaris
Outside of its natrual habitats in Europe and Asia, starlings are an invasive species brought to other continents such as North America and as far as Australia. Starlings are eight to nine inches (twenty to twenty-three centimeters) long and weigh two to three ounces (fifty-five to eigthy-five grams). Their wingspans are about ten inches (twenty-five centimeters). Its plumage, or feathering, is mostly black and covers its bodies. It is mixed with other shiny green, purple, and blue feathers. These other colors are visible most when the light reflects at certain angles off the black. Their legs are pink and their feet are red. The common starling has a bright-yellow beak in the summer and a duller-colored beak during the rest of the year.
Common starlings will typically avoid mountainous areas in favor of lowlands. The species can be found in areas away from people, but they are more commonly present near human habitats. This includes yards, gardens, farms, parks, and cities. Up to thousands of starlings may flock in one place to forage for food or roost. City buildings and parks are popular places for large gatherings of roosting starlings. Starlings forage for seeds and berries, as well as worms and insects. Food from feeders or human litter are also common food items in their diet. Urban starlings often leave a city at dawn to fly several miles to regular feeding sites and then return in the evening to roost.
Farmers have appreciated flocks of starlings because they consume many insect pests. For others, however, the birds are considered pests which people have tried to drive away or to kill. A large flock of the birds may damage crops even as they eat insects. They also may break tree branches or even topple small trees under the weight of their perching bodies. Another unpleasant mark of the starlings is the foul-smelling mess their waste makes of the ground, picnic tables, trees, and the environment in general. Attempts to drive away starlings, particularly large flocks, are usually unsuccessful.
Starlings return north from their southern winter ranges in time to mate in April and May. Non-breeding birds may remain in roosting flocks during this time, while the other birds pair and then select nesting sites and claim territories. Common nesting sites are holes in trees or among rocks where the birds are separated from people. Those birds which are near people build under eaves or even inside holes in buildings, or in drainpipes. Their cup-like nests are made from dry vegetation and lined with moss, feathers, grass, cloth, string, ribbon, paper scraps, and cigarette butts. The eggs are white or pale blue, and a female lays a clutch of five to seven eggs over the period of a few days. Female starlings will lay up to three clutches during a mating season. The female will incubate her eggs for about two weeks, keeping them warm with her body, until they hatch. The young remain in the nest for about three weeks, at which point they are able to fly and leave the nest. At one year of age they are able to mate. They die around the age of three years. Some have lived as long as twenty-one years.
A decline in starling habitats has led to their reduction in size. Nonetheless, their great numbers have still enabled a healthy global population.
Another examples of a starling species in the genus Sternus is the spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor).
Bibliography
“Common Starling.” Animalia, 2024, animalia.bio/common-starling. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.
Chow, James. “Sturnus vulgaris Common Starling.” Animal Diversity Web, 2000, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sturnus‗vulgaris. Access 9 Apr. 2024.
Martin, Megan. “Where Do Starlings Nest?” A-Z Animals, 23 Oct. 2023, a-z-animals.com/blog/where-do-starlings-nest. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.