# European Starling

*Sturnus vulgaris*

Starlings are exceptional mimics and can learn to reproduce the sounds of car alarms, other bird species, and even human speech.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Sturnidae › Sturnus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** urban
- **Habitat:** Urban areas, agricultural land, grasslands, and open woodlands.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous; primarily insects and invertebrates, supplemented by fruits, seeds, and grain.
- **Range:** Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
- **Size:** 20 cm in length with a wingspan of 31-40 cm.
- **Lifespan:** 2-3 years in the wild, though some reach 15 years.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat loss in native ranges, pesticide use reducing insect prey, and competition for nesting sites.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and highly social. Observe their complex aerial displays from a distance. They are sensitive to sudden movements but pose no threat to humans. Do not feed wild birds human food.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/6e88777d-2ad6-402b-af8f-d3b1b072f044
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/14850

- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/365984069/medium.jpg (Shiva Shenoy, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.