Bird Guide: Starling

Think you’ve spotted a starling in your garden? Our Starling Bird Guide is here to help you learn lots of information about these little garden visitors.

While its head and body is close to a blackbird, and often noisy. At a distance adults appear black, but on closer inspection, you'll notice the iridescent nature of their plumage becomes obvious. Young starlings are dull brown in colour often with a pale throat.

Starlings aren't doing very well at the moment. Since the early 1980s the species has declined in Britain and is now on the red list. Starlings are well known mimics. So if you hear a bird song or call in your garden, you might find its a starling mimicking the song!

To find out more about other birds, take a look at our interactive bird guide.

About

Starlings have glossy black plumage with a purple and green metallic sheen

Locations

Starlings can be spotted across the UK except for the highest peaks

Habitat

Farmlands, woodlands and towns

Diet

Seeds, nuts, berries and grains as well as invertebrates

Breeding

Starlings usually have a clutch of between 4-7 eggs that hatch within 15 days. Chicks can be in incubation for 16-21 days.

BTO Facts

According to Garden BirdWatch data, which has been collected since 1995, the number of starlings dramatically increases during winter months when birds arrive from Northern Europe - roosts can be over a million. Unfortunately Starlings are on the UK Red List (meaning it's of conservation concern) due to a sharp breeding decline since the 1960s.