Starlings

We regularly get starlings feeding on the fat balls in our garden. However it has declined as a breeding bird in the UK. Each autumn into winter our resident birds are joined by huge numbers of birds come over from the continent to winter here. They will gather together in the evening into spectacular murmurations where they swirl overhead as they prepare to roost.

They are a dark, thrush sized bird with longish pointed bills and short tails. They have a big head and short tailed with a striding walk. They have glossy, iridescent plumage which has a sheen like oil on water when caught in the sun. In winter it will gain more white spots and its beak will darken in colour.

Juvenile Starlings can cause some confusion when spotted as they have none of the sparkling plumage of their parents.