European Starling

Description:

Starlings are stocky black birds with short tails, triangular wings, and long, pointed bills. At a distance adult European 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.

Habitat:

European Starlings are now among the continent’s most numerous songbirds. 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.

Notes:

Close observation of the European Starling is very rewarding. It reveals the beauty of their true coloring. Usually they visit our yard in groups. Sometimes joining other species of birds and feeding in mixed groups.