European Starling
| Sturnus vulgaris | Order: Passeriformes | Family: Sturnidae (Starlings) |
Sturnus vulgaris
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae (Starlings)
This myna relative was originally introduced in Central Park in the 1890s by a “naturalization society” that was trying to bring to America every bird mentioned by William Shakespeare. Starlings nest in cavities, and can dominate and even kill bluebirds and larger woodpeckers to appropriate their nest sites.
Having problems with starlings? Check out some ways to solve the problem.
Laura's Published Works
Radio Programs
- Red-headed Woodpecker! 2024
- Warm Winter 2024
- Brooding over Cicadas 2024
- Birding on a Warmish December Day 2023
- Let's Talk Turkey 2023
- Summer Update 2023
- Slow Birding 2023
- Dawn Comes to Peabody Street 2023
- My Most Colorful Spring and an Adorable Little Despot 2022
- Sounds of Early Spring 2022
- Transition from Winter to Spring 2022
- Red-bellied Woodpecker 2022
- Everyday Birds on Peabody Street 2021
- Horrible News on the Bird Front 2021
- Chickadee Worries 2021
- Spring Update 2021
- Chickadee Nesting Update 2021
- Spring Update 2021
- April Update 2021
- Feed the birds, but do it right! 2021
- Our Far-Flung Correspondents: Amber Li's Starlings 2021
- A Conversation with Don Kroodsma, Part 5: European Starling 2020
- Hearts! 2020
- Blast from the Past: Cestodes! 2020
- Migration Progression 2020
- How Wildlife Is Faring During the Shutdown 2020
- Giving Mozart the Last Word on Starlings 2020
- A Tale of Two Mortimers, Part 2 2020
- A Tale of Two Mortimers, Part I 2020
- Our Far Flung Correspondents: Mealworms and Water in Winter 2018
- A Visit to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge 2017
- A Visit to the Field Museum of Natural History 2017
- Mantises: too much of a good thing? 2017
- A Walk at Park Point 2017
- 15,354 days and counting 2017
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow in Two Harbors 2017
- Pink-capped Marchers 2017
- Birding at Brooklyn Bridge Park with Heather Wolf 2016
- Correcting Egregious Errors 2016
- The Cruelty of an April Wind 2016
- Larking About with John Richardson 2016
- New Beginnings 2015
- Emily Dickinson's Birthday 2014
- My First Book: The Little Golden Book Bird Stamps 2014
- Birding in Europe! 2014
- Snowy Owls and Airports 2013
- Keeping a Life List 2012
- They Shoot Hawks, Don't They? 2012
- Groundhog Day in Washington D.C. 2012
- Cure for Nature Deficit Disorder 2011
- A Wrinkle in Time 2011
- Molting 2009
- Purple Martin 2009
- Feeding Birds on a Budget 2008
- Wild Birds I Have Known, Part I 2007
- Isabella Christmas Bird Count 2006 2007
- Chickadee vs. Wren 2006
- Mimicry 2006
- Birds in the News: Introducing Big Game Animals to America 2005
- Gyrchannel's Birds in the News 2005
- Starlings and House Sparrows 2005
- Great Backyard Bird Count, 2005 2005
- Birds in the News 2004
- Learning to Recognize Everyday Birds 2004
- Conservation: Chimneys and Plastic Rings 2004
- Christmas Bird Count 2003 summary 2003
- Dropping out of the Sky 2003
- Planning New Years Resolutions 2003
- Red-headed Woodpecker 2003
- Florida Exotics 2003
- Birding in Miami Beach 2003
- Mealworms 2003
- Rock Pigeon 2003
- Russ's Cherry Tree 2003
- Winter: the Sounds of Silence 2003
- Niagara Falls 2002
- Common Pests 2002
- New Year's Chickadees 2002
- Barbara's Questions about Bird Feeding 2001
- Why Birds? 2001
- Pileated Woodpeckers 2001
- Feeder and Bird Bath Issues 2001
- Bohemian Waxwings 2001
- Winter Bird Baths 2001
- Bonza Bottler Day: Headed to Costa Rica! 2001
- Declining British Birds 2000
- Field Museum 2000
- Slow Down! You Move Too Fast (Re-recorded) 2000
- Blackbirds and Black Birds 2000
- Summer Feeding 2000
- Fast Food Franchise Birds 1999
- Poisoned Birds 1999
- Florida for Spring Break! 1999
- Saw-whet Owls: Early Spring 1999
- Fewer Birds 1999
- European Starlings (Placeholder) 1998
- Urban Birds (Adapted from 1988) 1997
- Crossbill 1997
- Discouraging House Sparrows in Nest Boxes 1997
- Bird Houses 1996
- Chuckie 1996
- Bird Feeding 1995
- Baseball Bird List 1995
- Sprinklers 1995
- Flicker 1995
- Bird Recordings 1995
- Bluebirds 1995
- Paper Route 1995
- World of Wheels 1994
- Summer bird feeders 1994
- California Birding 1994
- Interest in birds 1994
- Feeding birds in winter 1994
- Starlings (Placeholder) 1993
- Introduced birds (Placeholder) 1993
- F-16 Crash 1992
- Tapeworms 1992
- Fall Bird Feeding 1992
- Going on Vacation (Placeholder) 1992
- Sneakers's First Word 1992
- Evacuating with Children and Birds 1992
- Collective Birds 1991
- Summer Update 1991
- Birding along I-35 1991
- European Starling 1991
- Hearts 1991
- New Years Day 1991
- Airplane Collisions (Reworked) 1990
- European Starling 1990
- European Starling with Paul Schmitz as Hotspur 1990
- 173 Bird Books 1989
- Coin Collecting 1989
- Feeding Birds 1989
- Mites! 1989
- Piano Lessons 1989
- Children and Birds (Placeholder) 1989
- Collective Nouns for Birds 1989
- Elderhostel 1989
- Fall's here! 1989
- Deformed Birds around Duluth 1989
- Bird Song Awareness Week 1989
- Urban Birds (revised) Date confirmed 1989
- Mortimer Update 1989
- Rid-a-Bird 1989
- Peregrine Release 1989
- Tent Caterpillars and Cuckoos 1989
- Mortimer 1989
- Migration Hazards 1989
- Avian Surrogate Motherhood 1989
- Slow Down! 1989
- Attracting Birds in Late Spring 1989
- Attracting Birds in Spring 1989
- Contest Winners! 1989
- Introduced Birds 1989
- Bird Collecting. 1989
- Bird Collecting. 1989
- Keeping Time 1989
- Bird Report 1989
- Contest update 1989
- Birds of Washington, D.C. 1989
- Bird Feeder Winter Contest 1988
- Exotic Birds 1988
- Bird Feeding 1988
- Urban birds (Original) 1988
- John Ciardi and the etymology of bird names 1988
- Blackbirds! 1988
- French That's for the Birds 1988
- Hearts 1988
- Starlings: Improved recording 1988
- Peregrine Falcons and the Minnesota DNR Nongame Wildlife Program 1988
- Lakewood Pumping Station Numbers from Last Fall 1988
- Bird-Airplane Collisions (Original) 1988
- Why Birds Attract People 1988
- Hairy Woodpecker 1988
- New Year's Day 1988 1988
- Economic Systems of Birds 1987
- Feeding Birds 1987
- Book Review: Flattened Fauna---A Field Guide to Common Animals of Roads, Streets, and Highways 1987
- Pet birds 1987
- Flickers 1987
- 1-year Anniversary of For the Birds 1987
- Migration Hazards 1987
- Slow Down! You Move Too Fast (Original) 1987
- Bluebird of Happiness 1987
- European Starling 1987
- Low winter feeder activity 1987
- Bird Collecting Then and Now 1987
- Sounds of Winter 1987
- Year Lists 1986
- Christmas Bird Count 1986 1986
- Feeding in mid-autumn 1986
- Fall Feeding 1986
- Legal Protection of Birds 1986
- Informal Poll Results 1986
Sound Recordings
- Redpolls at my feeder 2024
- Early spring: 14 minutes 2023
- European Starling out office window 2022
- Over an hour of morning song at raspberry bushes 2022
- Mid-morning, 2 hours outside office window 2022
- An Hour of Early Morning Song 2022
- Common Redpolls: 45 minutes 2022
- European Starling imitates Killdeer 2022
- European Starling: 40 Seconds 2022
- European Starling imitating Common Loon 2022
- Morning Song, June 21 2020
- Dawn Chorus, June 20, 2020 2020
- Dawn Chorus, May 31, 2020 2020
- Dawn Chorus, May 4 2020