Common starling: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the common starling lives – recorded in 86 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Sturnus vulgaris
Group	Songbirds & perching birds
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	86 countries
Continents	Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America
Diet (main food)	Apis, Amphibia, earthworm, Spider, arthropod, Calopteryx, nectar, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Tineola bisselliella, beetle, Chrysopa intima, Odonata, Lacertidae, grain, snail, fruit, Vespa, seed, invertebrate, Tipulidae, Formicidae, Caelifera, fly
Class	Bird
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Sturnidae

Where does the common starling live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the common starling in 86 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America. Wikidata gives its range as: Libya, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, Africa, Russia, South America, Germany, Belarus, Iceland, Estonia, Norway. In Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Bahamas, Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, Uruguay, South Africa it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What does a common starling eat?

Wikidata lists the main food source of the common starling as: Apis, Amphibia, earthworm, Spider, arthropod, Calopteryx, nectar, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Tineola bisselliella, beetle, Chrysopa intima, Odonata, Lacertidae, grain, snail, fruit, Vespa, seed, invertebrate, Tipulidae, Formicidae, Caelifera, fly.

Is the common starling endangered?

The common starling’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the common starling?

The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is a bird in the order Passeriformes and the family Sturnidae, genus Sturnus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the common starling

The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, and as the European starling in North America, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about 20 cm (8 in) long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of the year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer; young birds have browner plumage than the adults. Its gift for mimicry has been noted in literature including the Mabinogion and the works of Pliny the Elder and William Shakespeare.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Common starling (revision 1380659736), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q25469 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).