European Starling — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideEuropean Starling

In some instances, a wild starling has been observed to mimic a sound it has heard only once.

⚠️Not listed

At a glance

FamilyStarlings

SizeSmall

RarityCommon

HabitatThe colouring and build usually distinguish this bird from other starlings, although the closely related spotless starling may be distinguished by the lack of pale feather tip spots in adult breeding plumage.

Best timeMost reliable in South Australia from October to November.

Sounds

Sound sample

0:000:00

Recorded by Lennart Jeppsson

Range map

Occurrence window

699visible hotspots

5582visible records

3states

Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

A close look reveals beautiful plumage: in breeding season, look for purple and green iridescence and a yellow bill. In winter, shows extensive white and buffy spots over the entire body. Juveniles are plain grayish-brown; note bill shape. Native to Eurasia; introduced extensively across the globe. Makes a variety of squeaky vocalizations, and often mimics other species. Visits feeders, where it is often aggressive towards other birds.