European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Year-round in CharlotteCommon

The take

Iridescent in summer, star-spangled in winter, arguing on every wire in between.

How to ID it

  • Looks black at a distance; purplish-green iridescent with a yellow beak in summer, brown with white spots in winter
  • Chunky with a short tail and long slender beak; pointed wings give a four-pointed star shape in flight
  • Boisterous and loud, traveling in large flocks and probing lawns beak-down

Field marks at a glance

Size
medium
Head
glossy purple-green iridescent
Call
whistles, rattles, and borrowed songs

Where & when

Year-round in Charlotte

Learn more

Sources