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Common Starling

Birds

The common starling, known simply as the starling in Britain and Ireland and as the European starling in North America, is a medium-sized songbird about 20 centimetres long with glossy black, white-speckled plumage, a metallic sheen, pink legs and a bill that turns from black in winter to yellow in summer. Native to temperate Europe and the Palearctic east to western Mongolia, it has been introduced as an invasive species to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa and Fiji. It nests in cavities, lays four or five pale blue eggs that hatch in about two weeks, and is omnivorous, taking a wide range of invertebrates as well as seeds and fruit; large flocks can help agriculture by controlling insect pests but can also become pests themselves by feeding on fruit crops.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Omnivore 1
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 1
Threats
Invasive and Other Problematic Species, Genes and Diseases 1
Relationship to People
Invasive or Introduced Species 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 2
Derived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill).
Scientific Name
Sturnus vulgaris 2
Conservation Status
Least Concern 2
Population Estimate
310,000,000 2
Global population estimate as of 2004, per the cited Wikipedia article; a global estimate for a widespread, partly migratory bird carries real uncertainty and may be dated.
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Passeriformes, Taxa
Source Catalogue of Life
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Common starling
  • diet-classification (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    This species is omnivorous, taking a wide range of invertebrates, as well as seeds and fruit.
  • threat (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    The common starling has about 12 subspecies breeding in open habitats across its native range in temperate Europe and across the Palearctic to western Mongolia, and it has been introduced as an invasive species to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa and Fiji.
  • human-interaction (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    The common starling has about 12 subspecies breeding in open habitats across its native range in temperate Europe and across the Palearctic to western Mongolia, and it has been introduced as an invasive species to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa and Fiji.
  • system (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    The species has declined in numbers in parts of northern and western Europe since the 1980s due to fewer grassland invertebrates being available as food for growing chicks.
View the Source
2. Common Starling (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Lead paragraph, species name
    Sturnus vulgaris
  • Infobox, conservation status
    Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
  • Distribution and habitat section
    The global population of common starlings was estimated to be 310 million individuals in 2004, occupying a total area of 8,870,000 km2 (3,420,000 sq mi).
View the Source
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: PasseriformesView the Source
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