Starling

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Starling in the UK

A widespread resident, joined each winter by large numbers from northern Europe. The UK breeding population is about 1.8 million pairs (2016). That sounds like a lot, but breeding numbers fell by 61% between 1995 and 2024, and the decline has been steep since the early 1980s. The Starling is Red listed as a result. Winter visitors start to arrive in October, which is why the big roosts build through late autumn.

Where and when to see a Starling

Towns, villages, farmland and coasts across the UK, missing only from the highest ground. For murmurations go between November and February and arrive 45 minutes before sunset. Well-known roosts include RSPB Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath on the Somerset Levels, Brighton Palace Pier, Aberystwyth pier and RSPB Leighton Moss. Roosts move, so check locally before a long drive. Calm, clear evenings give the longest displays. A hunting Peregrine or Sparrowhawk makes the flock twist hardest.

Habitat, diet and field notes

Habitat: Towns, farmland.
Diet: Invertebrates, fruit.
Field note: Autumn murmurations!.

How to identify a Starling

Smaller than a Blackbird, with a short tail, pointed triangular wings and a busy walk (it does not hop). Adults look black at range but are glossed green and purple. Fresh autumn plumage is covered in pale spots, which wear off by spring. The bill is dark in winter and yellow in the breeding season, with a blue-grey base on males and a pinkish base on females. Juveniles are plain grey-brown with a pale throat. Flight is fast and direct.

Call and song

A long, rambling song of clicks, rattles, wheezes and whistles, with a drawn-out descending 'wheeoo'. Starlings are good mimics and copy other birds, phones and alarms. The flight call is a dry, buzzing 'tcheerr'. Heard something you cannot place? Bird Hear identifies UK birds from a 10 second recording, free in your browser.

Confusion species

• Blackbird: Blackbird is larger and longer-tailed, plain black or brown with no spots or gloss, and hops rather than walks.
• Rosy Starling: A juvenile Rosy Starling is much paler sandy-grey than a young Starling, with a shorter yellowish bill and a pale rump.
• Bohemian Waxwing: Waxwing flocks have the same flight shape but the birds are pinkish-brown with a crest and give a soft, ringing trill.

Related guide Bird migration in Britain.

Conservation status and Birdedex points

In the Birdedex the Starling is a Common tier bird, worth +1 point when you log one. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK.

Where to see it

Reserves where the Starling is on the list:

• RSPB Ham Wall

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• JackdawCommon · Farmland
• Barn SwallowCommon · Farmland (summer)
• Canada GooseCommon · Lakes
• Collared DoveCommon · Gardens
• Common BuzzardCommon · Farmland
• Common LinnetCommon · Heaths

Starling: quick answers

When is the best time to see Starling?

Starlings are easy to see all year, but the big flocks are a winter event. Murmurations build from late October, peak in December and January and break up by March as visiting birds head back to the Continent. The half hour before dusk is the time to watch.

What does a Starling eat?

Mostly soil invertebrates, above all leatherjackets (cranefly larvae), which it finds by pushing its bill into turf and opening it. It also eats fruit, berries, grain and scraps, and comes readily to fat and suet in gardens.

Is the Starling rare in the UK?

No. It is still one of the most numerous British birds, but numbers have more than halved in recent decades and it is Red listed. Loss of permanent pasture and fewer nest holes in modern buildings are among the suggested causes.

Kit that helps

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