European Starling in Winter

European starling singing on a branch
European starling.

Appearance: The European starling is a medium-sized bird about 7 1/2″ long with iridescent shades of purple and black with white speckles throughout. They have a long pointed gray bill in fall and yellow in spring. The tail is short. The female of the species looks the same.

Winter diet: Seeds and fruit that happen to remain on the barren branches.

Winter feeder food: Everything and anything you could offer at the feeder.

Winter habitat: Starlings are year-round birds found throughout the US and Canada. A handful of them migrates south into Mexico. They don’t have a strong preference for habitat but are commonly found in urban and residential areas including backyard lawns, parks, and fields.

European starling range map