Species: Sturnus vulgaris
European Starling
Species
Show on Lists
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Articles:
A December 2013 report identifies marine and terrestrial bird species for use as indicators within the Puget Sound Partnership's "Vital Signs" for ecosystem health.

Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Aves
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Sturnidae
Genus
Sturnus
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Estornino Pinto - étourneau sansonnet
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Perching Birds
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Passeriformes - Sturnidae - Sturnus - Considered conspecific with S. UNICOLOR by some authors and constitutes a superspecies with it (AOU 1983, 1998).
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - true - false - Resident throughout most its range, but some individuals migrate (mid-February to early March, late September to November).
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
true
Food Comments
Approximately half of its diet is insects; feeds on weevils, cut-worms, beetles, grasshoppers, ants, etc. Also feeds on other invertebrates; spiders, millipedes, earthworms, and snails. Consumes a wide variety of fruits and grains. Avoids high-sucrose fruits (Avery et al. 1995).
Reproduction Comments
Clutch size 4-9 (usually 5-7). Incubation by both sexes in turn, 12-15 days. Altricial, downy nestlings fed by parents for 20-22 days (Harrison 1978). One to 3 broods per year. Female may lay egg in nest of another starling. Polygyny and communal breeding have been documented (see Pinxton et al., 1994, Auk 111:482-486).
Ecology Comments
Nonbreeding: often gathers in large roosts. Often occurs in large mixed flocks with black-birds, cowbirds, and grackles (in summer and fall in northeastern U.S., Caccamise et al. 1983). <br><br>Commonly usurps the nest sites of native cavity-nesting birds (e.g., bluebirds, woodpeckers). However, an examination of Christmas Bird Count and Breeding Bird Survey data found that few, if any, native species have showed significant declines that could be attributed to starling competition. Only sapsuckers exhibited declines potentially attributable to starlings that were not countered by other data (Koenig 2003).
Length
22
Weight
85
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-12-03
Global Status Last Changed
1996-12-03
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.AB=SE&CA.BC=SE&CA.LB=SE&CA.MB=SE&CA.NB=SE&CA.NF=SE&CA.NT=SE&CA.NS=SE&CA.NU=SE&CA.ON=SE&CA.PE=SE&CA.QC=SE&CA.SK=SE&US.AL=SE&US.AK=SE&US.AZ=SE&US.AR=SE&US.CA=SE&US.CO=SE&US.CT=SE&US.DE=SE&US.DC=SE&US.FL=SE&US.GA=SE&US.ID=SE&US.IL=SE&US.IN=SE&US.IA=SE&US.KS=SE&US.KY=SE&US.LA=SE&US.ME=SE&US.MD=SE&US.MA=SE&US.MI=SE&US.MN=SE&US.MS=SE&US.MO=SE&US.MT=SE&US.NN=SE&US.NE=SE&US.NV=SE&US.NH=SE&US.NJ=SE&US.NM=SE&US.NY=SE&US.NC=SE&US.ND=SE&US.OH=SE&US.OK=SE&US.OR=SE&US.PA=SE&US.RI=SE&US.SC=SE&US.SD=SE&US.TN=SE&US.TX=SE&US.UT=SE&US.VT=SE&US.VA=SE&US.WA=SE&US.WV=SE&US.WI=SE&US.WY=SE" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
Native to Eurasia; introduced in the U.S. in New York City in 1890. Now breeds from southeastern Alaska, across southern Canada, south through most of U.S. to southern Mexico; also in Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico (very local in the late 1980s). Periodically reported from St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Reported casually in Hawaii.