Starling

Like their name, starlings are very pretty birds. They eat all sorts of things. In the spring, they forage for insects on the ground. The rest of the year, they also like fruit and seeds.

Starlings look a bit different in summer and winter. In summer, their feathers are dark, with a green or purple shine. Their beak is yellow. In winter, starlings have dark feathers with white spots all over, like a starry sky. Their beak is much darker in winter.

Size: 20 cm

Sound: starlings make a sort of buzzing noise. They also like to imitate other birds, like crows. They even sometimes mimick chainsaws and car alarms! A large flock of starlings can make a lot of noise indeed.

In winter, starlings travel in huge flocks called murmurations. They look like a giant, black cloud that changes shape all the time. There can be thousands of starlings in one flock.