The European Starling

The European Starling is a medium size bird 7 to 8 ½ inches in length. Its plumage is a glossy green or purple tinged black. In the winter the feathers are tipped with white giving it a speckled or spotted appearance. Its beak is yellow in the summer and black in the winter. Both sexes are similar in appearance with the male slightly larger than the female.

The European Starling is a highly adaptable bird. With the exception of large tracts of undisturbed forests, they can be found anywhere. They will forage on lawns, fields, and other developed areas. The only requirement seems to be the presence of nearby nesting cavities or birdhouses.

During the off season the European Starling will form large flocks, but at the start of mating season, the breeding pairs head off on their own. Their nests are bulky collectionsof sticks and dried grasses and are built in natural or man-made cavities. They frequently commandeer woodpecker holes and bluebird boxes-displacing our native song birds.

The clutch usually consists of 4 to 6 blue-green eggs and are incubated from 11 to 13 days. The hatchlings fledge at about 21 days. The pair often produces 2 clutches every breeding season.

Lighthouse Station Birdhouse

DINER BIRDHOUSE

OLD MILL RESTAURANT WOOD BIRDHOUSE

The European Starling is an omnivore with half of its diet composed of insects such as moths, butterflies, beetles, grubs, crickets, and grasshoppers. They will also eat seeds, grains and fruits. In grain-producing regions of the country, the European Starling is an aggravating pest. They consume large quantities of livestock feed, ravish orchards and uproot seedlings in the family garden.

The European Starling is a noisy bird. They utter a wide variety of melodic and mechanical-sounding sounds, including a distinctive wolf-whistle. They are mimics and when kept in captivity, they can learn a wide variety of sounds.

Listen to the song of the European Starling: Sound Byte: European Starling, National Park Service

Common Birds and Their Songs (Book and Audio CD)

This book-audio package provides a unique introduction to fifty of the most familiar birds of North America and the songs they sing. Common Birds and Their Songs will be valuable to anyone interested in birds, from beginner to expert. It's the perfect gift for any birder - or anyone with a bird feeder.

In the fall and winter months the European Starlings form huge, gregarious flocks. The flocks can be single species flocks, but are usually a mixture of starlings, blackbirds, cowbirds, and grackles. They are noisy and are considered pests rather than birds worth watching.