Identify Your Pest Birds European starling
European starling
Sturnus vulgaris · Also called: Common starling
The European starling is a stocky, shiny black bird that raises its young in cavities on buildings. People notice starlings when they nest in vents, eaves and soffits in spring, or when big flocks leave droppings on roofs and cars.
Size About 20 to 23 cm long
Colour Glossy black with a purple-green sheen; speckled in fall
Key feature Short square tail and long pointed bill that turns yellow in spring
Season Most noticed spring to fall; some stay through winter
Where Vents, eaves, soffit gaps and roof cavities; lawns and fields
What it looks like
A starling has a compact body, a stubby square tail and a long, sharp bill, and it is a bit smaller than a robin. In spring and summer adults look glossy black with purple and green highlights, and the bill is bright yellow. In fall and winter the plumage is dotted all over with white and buff, and the bill is dark. Those pale dots are feather tips that wear away by spring.
Juveniles are dull grey-brown in their first summer. Overhead, a starling looks like a small arrowhead with a stubby tail. On lawns they stride along, jabbing the bill into the turf for grubs. Their rambling song mixes squeaks, clicks and wheezes with borrowed calls of other birds.
Often confused with
Brewer's blackbird
Common grackle
Signs to look for
Clicks and squeals in a vent
Nest material in vents
Droppings below an opening
Birds going in and out
Large evening flocks
Risks and damage
Starlings are mostly a property and nuisance problem. Bulky nests in vents, eaves and soffits can block airflow and let in water, and old nests can release mites into the home after the young leave. Nesting birds are loud, and droppings pile up below nest holes and roosts. Big flocks can foul roofs, vehicles and patios and strip fruit from gardens. Starlings also take over nest holes used by native birds such as swallows, bluebirds and flickers.
In Alberta
European starlings are a non-native bird found in towns, farms and cities across Alberta, including Edmonton and Calgary. Many leave for winter and return in late winter or early spring, but some stay year round near cities, farms and feedlots. They nest on buildings from about April to July.
In spring you can tell a starling’s sex by its yellow bill. Males have a blue-grey patch at the base of the bill, while females have a pale pinkish one.
How to keep them out
Cap vents and openings
Seal gaps before spring
Remove nest starts
Limit food in the yard
When it is time to bring in a professional
Call a professional when starlings nest in a wall, soffit or vent you cannot safely reach, when nests keep coming back or when flocks roost on a commercial building. Nests need careful removal and openings need solid covers. Technica’s licensed technicians can remove nests and seal entry points to help keep birds out.
Frequently asked questions
Why do starlings come back to the same vent every year?
Starlings nest in holes, and good holes are hard to find. Once a pair finds a sheltered vent or soffit gap, it will try to use it again the next spring. A solid cover or a proper repair is what stops them from returning.
Can starlings get inside my house?
They usually stay in the vent pipe, soffit or wall space where they nest. A bird can end up in a room if a vent duct is loose or disconnected. Mites from an old nest are the more common thing to find indoors after the young birds leave.
Are starlings a problem for other birds?
They can be. Starlings are aggressive at nest holes and often take over cavities used by native birds such as flickers, bluebirds and swallows. Sealing gaps on your building also means fewer nest sites for starlings nearby.