Common Starling

Sturnus vulgarisLinnaeus, 1758

Updated 11 June 2026

Native

Order: PASSERIFORMES
Family: Sturnidae
Genus: Sturnus

At a glance

The Common Starling is a medium-sized bird, about 19–22 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size: 19–22 cm
Origin: Native
Best seen: Year-round
Commonness: Very common

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Common Starling look like?

The Common Starling is a medium-sized bird, about 19–22 cm long and weighing 55–100 g.

The common starling, also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, and as the European starling in North America, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about 20 cm (8 in) long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of the year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer; young birds have browner plumage than the adults. Its gift for mimicry has been noted in literature including the Mabinogion and the works of Pliny the Elder and William Shakespeare.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Common Starling?

The Common Starling is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

04 · Voice

What it sounds like

What sound does a Common Starling make?

Recordings of the Common Starling on BirdUp feature its song.

song · Quality B

James Ray · Alexandria, Council of the City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

2:27

Call

Carl Ramirez · -33.615780, 150.752203

Call

Thomas Jaeger · Melbourne VIC, Australia

Call

Carl Ramirez · -33.615780, 150.752203

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Common Starling eat?

The Common Starling feeds on fruit, seeds, terrestrial invertebrates, intertidal invertebrates and fish/invertebrates, usually foraging in flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

The BirdUp app