European Starling

Did you know that the European Starling is invasive? If you find a baby European Starling on the ground, you can call a local wildlife rehabilitation organization, but they may not help you. If you come upon a juvenile European Starling or a European Starling fledgling, you are not allowed to release it because of its invasive status. It is one unwelcome bird. The European Starling’s latin name is Sturnus vulgaris. It lives in temperate Europe, western Mongolia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, Fiji, and North Africa. Their preferred habitat is lowlands, salt marshes, and open moorland.

The European Starling bird breeds from March through July. North American European Starlings migrate to Canada in the winter. Their population status is of least concern. The European Starling can be found at Coal Creek Farm year round, especially in the summer. Their diet consists of mostly insects; especially beetles, grasshoppers, flies, caterpillars, spiders, snails, and earthworms; berries, fruits, and seeds. European Starlings are great vocal mimics – individual birds can learn the calls of up to 20 different species. And the European Starling call will vary, as they have around 10 types to communicate about where they are, whether there is danger around, and how aggressive or agitated they feel. They are also known as Common Starlings.