European Starling

Category: Wildlife

Scientific Name: Sturnus Vulgaris (Linnaeus)

 

Identification:

Color: Body is black with iridescent purple-green shading in the Spring, and in Winter heavily speckled with white and gold

Size: Body is 19-22 cm long. Weight is about 2 ½ to 3 oz

Region: Found throughout the US, Canada and Northern Mexico

Important Considerations:

  • Starlings’ mating occurs in the spring, where females usually lay 4-6 eggs per clutch
  • Eggs need 11-14 of incubation, which can be done by both sexes
  • Starlings and their droppings and nests, are of medical concern because they carry over 25 diseases
  • Starlings feed on the ground and can sometimes wander away from their roosting sites
  • Their diet is insects, berries, fruits and seeds

Where to Find Them on Your Property?

You can find European Starlings in your tree’s cavities, birdhouses, and mainly in any hole, nook, or cranny around structures. Their nests will consist of grass, twigs, straw and different kinds of debris. Some flocks will migrate South for the winter, while others will stay behind and find shelter in protected areas such as urban buildings or dense pine stands.