A medium-sized iridescent black bird introduced to New York's Central Park in 1890 — about 100 birds released spawned the now 200+ million bird US population.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
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.
Source: Wikipedia — Common starling Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Stocky black bird with short squared-off tail. Breeding adults: glossy black with iridescent green-purple sheen and yellow bill. Winter/juvenile: heavily spotted with white tips, dark bill.
Similar species. Native blackbirds (longer tails, no spotting). Brown-headed Cowbird (brown head). Common Grackle (much larger, longer tail).
Voice. Wide vocal range: whistles, warbles, mimicked songs, mechanical sounds.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Highly omnivorous: insects (especially during nesting), fruits, seeds, grains, livestock feed, food scraps.
Behavior. Introduced to Central Park in 1890–1891 by Eugene Schieffelin, an American pharmacist with the eccentric ambition of bringing every bird mentioned in Shakespeare's works to North America. About 100 birds were released; the population reached coast-to-coast within 60 years and now numbers 200+ million in North America alone. Cause major economic damage to agriculture and aviation; outcompete many native cavity-nesters. Famous mimic — incorporates other bird songs, mechanical sounds, and human speech into vocalizations. Mozart kept a pet starling that learned to sing a phrase from his Piano Concerto No. 17.
§ Range
Native to Eurasia; introduced and naturalized across North America
§ Habitat
Diverse — cities, farms, fields
§ Threats
In North America: outcompetes native cavity-nesting birds (woodpeckers, bluebirds, purple martins).
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the european starling is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
In North America: use starling-resistant nest boxes for natives. Support native cavity nester recovery.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Common starling
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Sturnus vulgaris
- IUCN Red List · taxon 22710886
- iNaturalist · taxon 13851
- eBird · eursta
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Sturnus vulgaris
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab — All About Birds
- USDA Wildlife Services
- American Bird Conservancy
- IUCN Red List 2018
