Common starling

The starling is a shiny bird.

Its feathers are black. They can look purple or green in the sun. Some stars look like white spots on its back.

This bird has a special beak. In the summer, the beak is yellow. In the winter, it turns black.

Starlings eat many things. They eat seeds and fruit. They also eat small bugs.

These birds can copy sounds. They are very good at it. They build messy nests in holes. They lay blue eggs in their nests. The eggs hatch in two weeks. The babies stay in the nest for three weeks. The starling is a very busy bird.

The common starling is a medium-sized bird.

It has shiny black feathers. These feathers can look purple or green in the light. In winter, the feathers have white spots. These spots make the bird look speckled.

A starling's beak changes color. It is yellow in the summer. It turns black in the winter. The bird also has pink or red legs.

Starlings are great at mimicry. This means they can copy sounds. They might copy other birds or noises.

These birds eat many different things. They are omnivorous, which means they eat both plants and animals. They eat seeds and fruit. They also eat small bugs called invertebrates.

Starlings build messy nests in holes. They lay four or five pale blue eggs.

The eggs hatch in two weeks. The young birds stay in the nest for three weeks. Some starlings fly long distances during the winter. We call this migration. They move to warmer places to find food.

The common starling is a medium-sized bird with a very special look.

Its feathers are a glossy black that shines with purple or green colors. In the winter, these feathers look speckled with white spots.

This bird is famous for its gift of mimicry. Mimicry is when a living thing copies sounds or actions. Many famous writers, like William Shakespeare, have written about this skill. Even though they are small, starlings are very important in nature.

Life for a starling follows a busy cycle.

They build messy nests in natural holes or man-made cavities. Inside these nests, they lay four or five pale blue eggs. These eggs take two weeks to hatch into chicks. The young birds stay safe in the nest for three more weeks. Most starlings try to raise young one or two times each year. They are omnivores, which means they eat many different types of food. They eat seeds, fruit, and small creatures called invertebrates.

Humans have studied these birds for a very long time. Carl Linnaeus first gave the bird its scientific name in 1758. He called it *Sturnus vulgaris* in his book, *Systema Naturae*. The name comes from Latin words for "starling" and "common." Long ago, people used the name "stare" to describe them. In the 11th century, the word "starling" was used for young birds. Today, the International Ornithological Congress uses the name common starling.

Starlings live in many different places around the world. They are native to Europe and parts of Asia.

Some groups of starlings migrate, which means they fly south for the winter. They have been introduced to many other lands like North America and Australia. In some places, like Canada and Mexico, they are common. In parts of Europe, their numbers dropped since the 1980s. This happened because there were fewer bugs for the chicks to eat.

You might see starlings in your own neighborhood. They often fly in huge flocks that look like clouds.

These large groups can help farmers by eating pests. However, they can also be a nuisance to people. They can make a lot of noise and create a mess in cities. Even so, the world has a huge number of starlings. Because of this, they are listed as a species of least concern.

The common starling (*Sturnus vulgaris*) is a medium-sized passerine bird. A passerine is a type of perching bird. This species belongs to the starling family, known as Sturnidae. Starlings are famous for their incredible gift of mimicry. This means they can imitate many different sounds. This skill has been noted in many famous works of literature. Writers like William Shakespeare and Pliny the Elder have mentioned them.

Physically, the common starling has a very distinctive appearance. They have glossy black plumage that shows a metallic sheen. This sheen can look purple or green depending on the light. In the winter, their feathers appear speckled with white spots. This happens because the white tips of their feathers wear off over time.

Their legs are stout and can be pink or reddish-grey. The color of their bill changes with the seasons. In winter, the bill is a dark brownish-black. In summer, the bill turns yellow.

The life cycle of a starling involves specific stages of growth. They build untidy nests in natural or artificial cavities. Inside these nests, they lay four or five glossy, pale blue eggs.

These eggs take about two weeks to hatch. Once the chicks hatch, they remain in the nest for three weeks. Most starlings make one or two breeding attempts every year. They are omnivores, meaning they eat many different things. They consume seeds, fruit, and various invertebrates, which are small animals without backbones.

Humans have documented the common starling for centuries. Carl Linnaeus first described the bird in 1758. He used the name *Sturnus vulgaris* in his work, *Systema Naturae*. The name comes from Latin words for "starling" and "common." In the 11th century, the word "starling" was used only for young birds. By the 16th century, it was used for birds of all ages.

There are about 12 different subspecies of the common starling. These subspecies vary in size and the color of their feathers. For example, the *S. v. faroensis* subspecies lives in the Faroe Islands. These birds are slightly larger than the standard version. They have a darker green gloss and much less spotting.

Other subspecies, like *S. v. poltaratskyi*, live in Siberia and Mongolia. These birds show different colors, such as purple gloss on the head. These variations happen gradually across their large geographic range.

Starlings live in many parts of the world. They are native to temperate Europe and the Palearctic region. This range extends across to western Mongolia. Some populations are resident, meaning they stay in one place all year. Other northeastern populations are migratory. These birds fly south and west during the winter.

Starlings have also been introduced to many other places. They are now found in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In some areas, like Western Australia, efforts were made to prevent them from colonizing.

The impact of starlings on the environment can be complex. Large flocks can actually help farmers. They do this by controlling invertebrate pests in fields. However, they can also become pests themselves. This happens when they eat sprouting crops or fruit. In cities, large roosts can cause noise and mess. In parts of northern and western Europe, numbers declined after the 1980s. This was due to fewer grassland invertebrates for chicks to eat.

Despite these local changes, the global population is huge. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies them as "least concern."