Common Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Where is it found?
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Woodlands, scrubland, grassland, farmland, suburban and urban areas.
Diet and foraging method
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Forage on the ground. Probe the ground for insects and take them from the surface, also occasionally take insects from the air in flight
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Key adaptations
Their large, strong jaw muscles are specially adapted to force the bill open underground to allow them to catch insects in the soil.
Social organisation and mating system
Live in flocks
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Form monogamous breeding pairs
Did you know that...?
Starlings can mimic other birds songs and noise they hear. Starlings thus have a huge repertoire of sounds, up to 60!
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Sturnus vulgaris -England-8" by chapmankj75 - StarlingUploaded by Snowmanradio. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sturnus_vulgaris_-England-8.jpg#/media/File:Sturnus_vulgaris_-England-8.jpg
"Toulouse - Sturnus vulgaris - 2012-02-26 - 3" by PierreSelim - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toulouse_-_Sturnus_vulgaris_-_2012-02-26_-_3.jpg#/media/File:Toulouse_-_Sturnus_vulgaris_-_2012-02-26_-_3.jpg
"Sturnus vulgaris m". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sturnus_vulgaris_m.jpg#/media/File:Sturnus_vulgaris_m.jpg
"SturnusVulgarisGould" by John Gould - Birds of Asia, Vol. IV, Parts XIX,-XXIV,by John Gould, 1867-72. Painted by John Gould & Henry C. Richter.. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SturnusVulgarisGould.jpg#/media/File:SturnusVulgarisGould.jpg
"Starling Inishbofin Galway" by Craig Nash from Northern Ireland - Starling Sturnus vulgaris. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starling_Inishbofin_Galway.jpg#/media/File:Starling_Inishbofin_Galway.jpg
"Sturnus vulgaris -England-8" by chapmankj75 - StarlingUploaded by Snowmanradio. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sturnus_vulgaris_-England-8.jpg#/media/File:Sturnus_vulgaris_-England-8.jpg
"Toulouse - Sturnus vulgaris - 2012-02-26 - 3" by PierreSelim - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toulouse_-_Sturnus_vulgaris_-_2012-02-26_-_3.jpg#/media/File:Toulouse_-_Sturnus_vulgaris_-_2012-02-26_-_3.jpg
"Sturnus vulgaris m". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sturnus_vulgaris_m.jpg#/media/File:Sturnus_vulgaris_m.jpg
"SturnusVulgarisGould" by John Gould - Birds of Asia, Vol. IV, Parts XIX,-XXIV,by John Gould, 1867-72. Painted by John Gould & Henry C. Richter.. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SturnusVulgarisGould.jpg#/media/File:SturnusVulgarisGould.jpg
"Starling Inishbofin Galway" by Craig Nash from Northern Ireland - Starling Sturnus vulgaris. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starling_Inishbofin_Galway.jpg#/media/File:Starling_Inishbofin_Galway.jpg