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i can do the bins, the birds and a car alarm. ask me nicely.

Starling says

Bird 12 of 30 · video, 21:18

Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Not just black: purple, green and blue gloss, spotted over in winter, once the garden's most common bird.

  • Medium, 85 g
  • Some come and go
  • Building or eaves
  • Tree hole
  • On the ground or lawn
  • On a feeder or bird table
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About the starling

Marks and dots

Tap a numbered dot, or a name in the list.

From egg to adult

  1. Egg

    Eggs4–5 eggs BTO

    Hatch after13 days video, BTO agrees

  2. Chick in the nest

    In the nest forabout 21 days video, BTO agrees

    4–7 young a year video only

  3. Young bird

    The video does not describe young starlings.

    Read about the young

  4. Adult

    Glossy purple, green and blue; speckled in winter

    Broods a yearup to 2 broods video, BTO agrees

BTO averages: 12 days incubating the eggs, then 21 days in the nest. Averages across nest records, so the figures above can differ a little.

At the table

  • soil invertebrates (BTO)

The video does not say what starlings eat. BTO says they mainly feed on soil invertebrates, though they commonly visit garden feeders.

This page mentions bird tables. Since April 2026 the RSPB and the BTO advise against them, and say to feed seeds and peanuts only from November to April. What changed, and why.

Through the year

Aroundmonths you can see it
AroundYou can see the starling all year round. That is what the video says.ArrivingWinter visitors from northern Europe (November to February). That is from the video.ArrivingWinter visitors from northern Europe (November to February). That is from the video.
First eggslaid, from the BTO
First eggsThe starling lays its first eggs between 6 April and 30 May, and on average the first egg comes on 19 April. These dates are from the BTO, the British Trust for Ornithology.Average first eggThe average first egg is laid on 19 April (BTO).
Chicks leavethe nest, worked out
Chicks leave the nestThe first chicks fly from the nest between 7 May and 5 July. We worked this out, it was not recorded: the BTO's first-egg dates, plus 12–15 days for the eggs to hatch and 19–21.5 days for the chicks to leave the nest.

Starling: around Jan to Dec; winter visitors from northern Europe, Nov to Feb; first eggs laid 6 Apr to 30 May, average 19 Apr (BTO); first chicks leave the nest 7 May to 5 Jul (worked out from BTO).

What to know about the starling

Eight short notes in our own words. Each chip says what the note stands on, and links to its row in the table below.

The starling part of “British Birds in your Garden” by The Great British Channel, 21:18 to 22:49. Press play and it runs in YouTube's own player, with its captions and controls. Nothing from YouTube loads until you do, and after that YouTube can see your address. Watch it on YouTube instead.

What to look for

Up close a starling is not just black: the plumage is iridescent, with purple, green and blue reflections. A starling feeding on a lawn can be mistaken for a female blackbird, but the two are very different birds.

checked, BTO video only

Male and female

The video does not say whether male and female starlings look different.

not in the video

The young

The video does not describe young starlings.

not in the video

Song and call

The video does not describe the starling's voice. BTO says the song is full of masterful mimicry of other birds and even machines.

BTO only

Nest

Nest sites are diverse: holes, roofs, boxes and cavities have all turned out to be surprisingly suitable.

video only

Feeding

The video does not say what starlings eat. BTO says they mainly feed on soil invertebrates, though they commonly visit garden feeders.

BTO only

Staying or leaving

The video cannot say whether it is the native starlings that have thinned out or the migrating visitors from northern and eastern Europe that arrive in winter. BTO says numbers rise dramatically in winter when birds arrive from northern Europe.

BTO only video only

In the garden

At dusk, starlings roost in large flocks, often in a spectacular display, gathering in woods or thickets in the country and on buildings in towns, noisy and busy before they settle. Once the most common bird in British gardens, with huge flocks a regular sight, their numbers have dropped drastically and research into why is still going on.

video only

Sources and checks

Where every fact about the starling came from

17 claims about the starling: 5 checked, 6 from the video only,0 differ, 6 from a source only. How the grades work

Claim, in our wordsVideo timeGradeWhat the source says
The plumage is iridescent, with purple, green and blue reflections.21:43 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO describes breeding plumage as iridescent green, blue and purple.
In winter the feathers are tipped with white or buff, giving a speckled appearance.21:49 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO says the bird is spotted with silver in winter.
A starling foraging on a lawn can be mistaken for a female blackbird.21:36 video only
BTO says the starling's song is full of mimicry of other birds and even machines.source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species.
Nesting sites are diverse, with holes, roofs, boxes and cavities proving surprisingly suitable.22:36 video onlyThe video's automatic captions list one more word that could not be made out, so it is left out.
BTO says starlings mainly feed on soil invertebrates and commonly visit garden feeders.source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species.
It is hard to say whether the native starling population has diminished, or the influx of migrating visitors from northern and eastern Europe.22:15 video only
BTO says starling numbers increase dramatically in winter when birds arrive from northern Europe.source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05BTO's introduction to the species.
Starlings were once the most common bird in British gardens, with huge flocks; numbers have drastically reduced and research continues.21:18 video only
Starlings roost in large flocks, often in a spectacular dusk display, in woods or thickets in the country and on buildings in towns.21:58 video only
There can often be two broods.video: up to 2 broods22:24 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05: 1–2 broods (BTO typical)up to 2 sits between BTO's typical top (2) and the most BTO records (2)
Four to seven young produced each year.video: 4–7 young a year22:27 video onlyThe video counts young; BTO counts eggs, so the two are not compared.
The eggs hatch after 13 days.video: 13 days22:29 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05: 12–15 days (BTO typical)inside BTO's typical range of 12–15
The nest will be empty some three weeks later.video: about 21 days22:33 checkedBTO, read 2026-10-05: 19–21.5 days (BTO typical)inside BTO's typical range of 19–21.5
Adult weight, from ringing records: 85 g, adult average.source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05: 85 g, adult average
Timing of the first clutch: first eggs laid around 19 Apr (6 Apr-30 May).source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05: first eggs laid around 19 Apr (6 Apr-30 May)
Typical clutch: 4–5 eggs (BTO typical).source only source onlyBTO, read 2026-10-05: 4–5 eggs (BTO typical)

Written in our own words after “British Birds in your Garden” by The Great British Channel, where the starling starts at 21:18.Numbers are checked against the BTO's page for the starling, read on 5 October 2026. We are not connected to the channel or to the BTO.

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