European Starling Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesEuropean Starling
Breeding adult
Chunky and blackbird-sized, but with a short tail and a long, slender bill. In flight their wings are short and pointed. Breeding birds are dark overall with purplish-green iridescent and yellow bills.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 21, 2019Nonbreeding adult/immature
Chunky dark bird with a finely pointed bill. Nonbreeding birds have spots on their back and underparts. The bill is dark in winter, but begins to turn yellow as breeding season approaches.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, November 14, 2012Breeding adult
Makes a bewildering variety of sounds, from thin whistles to rattles to imitations of birds, including Red-tailed Hawks, American Robins, and many others.
© Matthew D. Medler / Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 03, 2015Not all videos have sound
Juvenile
Juveniles are pale brown overall with a dark bill. Adult feathers with white tips are growing in on the flanks of this individual.
© Volker Hesse / Macaulay LibrarySchleswig-Holstein, August 03, 2019Juvenile
Juveniles are pale brown overall.
© Emily Turteltaub Nelson / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, July 26, 2014Nonbreeding adult
Walks quickly, in hunched posture with head down, as it forages on lawns and grassy areas.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 06, 2015Not all videos have sound
Breeding adult
Native to Europe, but introduced into New York's Central Park in the late 1890s, European Starling is one of North America's most common birds, with an estimated 200 million individuals.
© Josep del Hoyo / Macaulay LibraryDobrich, May 18, 2019Nonbreeding adult/immature
New feathers grown in the fall have bold white tips, giving birds a spotted appearance. By spring, these tips have worn away, and the rest of the feather is dark and iridescent brown.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, December 16, 2018Nonbreeding adults
Forms very large flocks in winter, sometimes with other species including blackbirds, grackles, and cowbirds. Note spotted plumage and blackish bills, characteristic of fresh winter plumage.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, December 11, 2015Not all videos have sound
Nonbreeding adult
Nests in holes in trees, birdhouses, or other artificial structures with holes or crevices. Nonbreeding adults are spotted above and below. The bill color changes from black to yellow and the spots are lost as the breeding season nears.
© terence zahner / Macaulay LibraryArizona, March 05, 2017Flock
Forms large flocks coordinating their movements with the flockmates nearest them, in a giant cloud called a murmuration.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibraryBurgenland, September 25, 2011Flock
Gathers in large, noisy flocks during nonbreeding season, sometimes with blackbirds, grackles, and cowbirds.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, September 22, 2014Not all videos have sound
Similar SpeciesCommon Grackle
Adult male
Common Grackles are larger with a longer tail than European Starlings. They also have dark legs, a dark bill, and yellow eyes whereas starlings have pinkish legs, a yellow bill (breeding birds), and a dark eye.
© T I / Macaulay LibraryIllinois, March 26, 2017Similar SpeciesBrewer's Blackbird
Adult male
Brewer's Blackbirds have a thicker and darker bill than the thin, pointed yellow bill on breeding European Starlings. Brewer's Blackbirds also do not show the intricate iridescent patterns like the starling.
© Mark Ludwick / Macaulay LibraryOregon, January 15, 2017Similar SpeciesBrewer's Blackbird
Female
Females could be confused with juvenile European Starlings, but they have a thicker bill and a longer tail.
© Shawn Billerman / Macaulay LibraryNevada, May 09, 2012Similar SpeciesRusty Blackbird
Breeding male
Rusty Blackbirds are larger and chunkier than European Starlings. They also have a yellow eye whereas European Starlings have a dark eye.
© Daniel Jauvin / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, May 12, 2017Similar SpeciesRusty Blackbird
Nonbreeding male
Nonbreeding male Rusty Blackbirds are mottled brown and black unlike the intricate iridescent pattern of European Starlings. They also have a yellow eye whereas starlings have a dark eye.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 28, 2013Similar SpeciesRed-winged Blackbird
Female (Red-winged)
Female Red-winged Blackbirds are brown and heavily streaked unlike juvenile or nonbreeding European Starlings—juveniles are tan and unstreaked and nonbreeding birds are heavily spotted.
© David Trescak / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, March 05, 2017Similar SpeciesBrown-headed Cowbird
Adult male
Brown-headed Cowbirds have a thick conical bill whereas European Starlings have a thin and pointed bill.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 17, 2008Similar SpeciesBrown-headed Cowbird
Female
Female Brown-headed Cowbirds could be confused with juvenile European Starlings, but cowbirds have a thick conical bill while starlings have a long and pointed bill.
© Arlene Ripley / Macaulay LibraryArizona, July 02, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
Compare with Similar Species
Click on an image to compare
Don't miss a thing! Join our email list
The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.