European Starling Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Starlings are chunky and blackbird-sized, but with short tails and long, slender beaks. In flight their wings are short and pointed, making them look rather like small, four-pointed stars (and giving them their name).

  Relative Size

  Nearly twice the size of a House Sparrow; smaller than an American Robin

  robin-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 7.9-9.1 in (20-23 cm)
    • Weight: 2.1-3.4 oz (60-96 g)
    • Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in (31-40 cm)

• Color Pattern

  At a distance, starlings look black. In summer they are purplish-green iridescent with yellow beaks; in fresh winter plumage they are brown, covered in brilliant white spots.

• Behavior

  Starlings are boisterous, loud, and they travel in large groups (often with blackbirds and grackles). They race across fields, beak down and probing the grass for food; or they sit high on wires or trees making a constant stream of rattles, whirrs, and whistles.

• Habitat

  Starlings are common in towns, suburbs, and countryside near human settlements. They feed on the ground on lawns, fields, sidewalks, and parking lots. They perch and roost high on wires, trees, and buildings.