European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

4/27/02 Los Angeles County Arboretum, Arcadia, CA

LIFE LIST NOTES:

COMMON NAME: European Starling

SPECIES: Sturnus vulagaris

LIFE LIST DATE: 3/19/1998

LOCATION: Sunnymead Ranch Lake, Moreno Valley, Riverside County, CA

From Kaufman Focus Guide: Birds of North America:

HABITAT: A chunky short-tailed bird that waddles about on lawns. Brought to North America in 2890, the starling is now one of the most abundant birds on this continent. Usually in flocks when not nesting; may gather in big roosts that number in the tens of thousands. Not related to American blackbirds but often associates with them in mixed flocks. Starlings nest in holes in trees, birdhouses, crevices in buildings, etc.; very aggressive, they may compete with native birds for nest sites, even evicting woodpeckers from their own holes. 

IDENTIFYING MARKS: 8 1/2"; short tail, thin straight bill. Plumage black with purple and green gloss in spring and summer. In fresh fall plumage, heavily marked with white spots, which gradually wear off in winter. Bill bright yellow in breeding season, duller at other times. 

VOICE: Remarkably varied stream of sound, with whistle, gurgles, imitations of other birds. Call notes include rough chatter, soft whistles. Juveniles in flocks make rough trill, dzzhhrrrr.