Wildlifeof Vietnam
Common Starling
Starlings & Mynas
Photo: Ingrid Taylar · CC BY 2.0
Sturnus vulgaris
Rare visitor: recorded only occasionally in this country
Basic stats
Diet
Includes earthworms pulled from soil
Habitat
Untidy nest in a natural or artificial cavity; open habitats across its range
Range
Resident in western and southern Europe and south-western Asia; north-eastern populations migrate south and west; introduced to Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, South Africa and Fiji
Clutch size
4–5 glossy pale blue eggs; one or two breeding attempts a year
Incubation period
About two weeks to hatch; young stay in the nest another three weeks
Size
19–23cm
Wingspan
31–44cm
Weight
58–101g
The common starling is a medium-sized passerine, 19 to 23cm long with a wingspan of 31 to 44cm and a weight of 58 to 101g. The plumage is iridescent black, glossed purple or green and spangled with white, especially in winter; the legs are pink, and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer. Young birds are browner (Wikipedia, general species account).
It builds an untidy nest in a natural or artificial cavity, in which four or five glossy pale blue eggs are laid, taking two weeks to hatch, with the young staying in the nest for another three weeks. There are normally one or two breeding attempts each year. The male is the main songster. It has about 12 subspecies, and has been introduced as an invasive species to several continents. The account opened does not name Bhutan.
Quick answers
- What does the Common Starling eat?
- Includes earthworms pulled from soil
- What habitat does the Common Starling live in?
- Untidy nest in a natural or artificial cavity; open habitats across its range
- Where is the Common Starling found?
- Resident in western and southern Europe and south-western Asia; north-eastern populations migrate south and west; introduced to Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, South Africa and Fiji
- How many eggs does the Common Starling lay?
- 4–5 glossy pale blue eggs; one or two breeding attempts a year
- How long are the eggs of the Common Starling incubated?
- About two weeks to hatch; young stay in the nest another three weeks
- How big is the Common Starling?
- 19–23cm
- What is the wingspan of the Common Starling?
- 31–44cm
- How much does the Common Starling weigh?
- 58–101g