BirdUp · Species
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLinnaeus, 1758
- Commonness
- Very common
- Best seen
- Year-round
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
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
02 · Where
Where to find it
- Breeding range
- West, central, introduced worldwide
03 · When
When to look
Months this species is recorded across its Australian range.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
04 · Voice
What it sounds like
song · Quality B
James Ray · Alexandria, Council of the City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
06 · Gallery
Plumage up close
6 photos
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