Overview
Starlings are highly sociable birds that often gather together in huge flocks. These flocks increase in size with juveniles following the summer breeding season, and become larger still when massive numbers migrate to the UK from north and north-east Europe during autumn and winter. Although in common with many species starling numbers have reduced drastically in recent times, these flocks can still number many thousand birds. The spectacular aerial flight displays can still be seen at some larger traditional roost sites in Britain, with ‘super-flocks’ consisting of a few million birds! These swirling masses are one of nature’s most beautiful and impressive spectacles to witness. Starlings are very much generalist and adaptable feeders, eating almost anything and everything. As well as natural foods such as fruit and berries, insects, worms and snails, they will more than happily snaffle up any tasty food scraps they find. They often nest in loose colonies. Female starlings sometimes remove an egg from a neighbouring nest, laying one of her own in its place to give her offspring a better chance of surviving – by getting someone else to raise them!
A flock of starlings is known as a ‘murmeration’ or ‘chattering’ of Starlings.
Description
The starling is a familiar and distinctive bird to many. They are beautiful, characterful and rather comical birds. Although it is superficially similar to the male blackbird with black plumage and a yellow bill – a slightly closer look will reveal many differences. In the starling the black plumage shimmers in the sunlight with green and purple shades (known as ‘iridescence’) and has whitish specks. Also the sharply pointed bill is much longer and the tail shorter than the blackbird. On the ground it doesn’t hop like the blackbird but waddles with jerky energetic movements. Males and females are similar in appearance, although the males have a blue-grey tinge to the lower bill (mandible) and females have a pinkish lower mandible. Males have fewer white spots on the rump and wings. These spots wear away during winter. In flight they have short pointed triangular wings and fast direct flight, making them look like tiny Harrier aircraft!
Call & Song: Produces a very wide range of rambling chattering whistles, clicks, squeaks and rattles. Each individual bird can sound like a whole flock chattering away – although they can indeed be frequently heard wittering away together in groups. Starlings are accomplished mimics and can copy sounds they hear such as other birds or even man-made sounds like a ringing telephone or car alarm!
Latin name: Sturnus vulgaris
Size: 19 – 22cm
In The Garden
Starling populations have declined by over 70% in recent years and for this reason they are on the ‘Red List’ of high conservation concern species. They are still a commonly seen bird in many regions however. Likely reasons for the huge decline include changes in farming practices and grassland management, loss of invertebrate food due to pesticide use, house improvements leading to fewer urban nesting sites, and lower survival rates of young birds. Some evidence suggests that fewer starlings have been visiting people’s gardens recently. This could be partly because they feed in flocks so prefer a bit of space and enough food to attract them, and food has not been as abundant in gardens as elsewhere such as the city centre.
Flocks of starlings that descend on your lawn will be eating insect pests, so will be doing the gardener a big favour, and not doing damage as it may first appear. Starlings are lively noisy feeders with a huge appetite and it seems will eat anything from anywhere, so if you can provide a good supply of food scraps you will hopefully get to see this charming boisterous bird in your garden, and help to prevent their numbers declining further still. Also starlings are cavity nesters and will nest in nest-boxes of suitable dimensions and access hole, so if you have room, providing a box or two might be another good way to help this bird in need. Starlings are more likely to visit gardens in winter and in the morning or evening. During Summer and early Autumn they are more likely to be in woodland and farmland.
Did You Know…?
Starlings have a specially adapted bill for probing in soil for insects and worms. Strong muscles open the bill with force unlike many other birds that have stronger muscles to close the bill firmly.
Want to find out how to attract starlings to your garden? Check out our tips on bird food, setting up your bird feeders and making a bird box!