Rob Robinson

One of Europe’s most numerous songbirds with extremely large breeding range, inhabiting woodlands, extensively managed agricultural areas and urban environments. Well known for impressive murmurations at roosting sites. Colonized the USA, Australia and South-Africa artificially. Breeds in natural cavities as well as nest boxes and other man-made structures. Feeds on soil living invertebrates during breeding and also fruits during winter. Facultative migrants with W European populations remaining at the breeding grounds year-round and NE European populations migrating short-distances. European breeding population 28,800,000-52,400,000. Declining trend.

Season of assessment

B

Population trendStable
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		53300000-94400000,69900000
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Common Starling

Overall, the direction of migration is SW – NE, with N European population migrating more WSW – ENE (Perdeck 1967). Birds from Fennoscandia and NE Europe are obligate migrants, mainly encountered in the British Isles and the Low Countries during winter, with birds breeding more north being connected to more northern areas of the British Isles, including Scotland. Birds originating from the Russian Federation also connect to the Middle East. Breeding populations in C Europe are connected to Spain, the Mediterranean and N Africa, and, to a lesser extent, the Low Countries and France. Birds from Italy are connected to N Africa. Breeding populations in the Low Countries are partial migrants with a fraction being encountered in the British Isles, France and Spain.

Recoveries by Condition for Common Starling

Approximately half of the encounters refer to birds found dead, with some 12% of recovered individuals being shot or otherwise intentionally taken by men and 38% being found without a clear cause of death. The proportion of shot birds has decreased from some 75% of encounters before 1960 to 16% of encounters in more recent decades. Birds were mainly shot in Denmark, Belgium, France, N Italy, Spain and N Africa. About a quarter of encounters refer to ringing recoveries of alive birds.

Annual Movements for Common Starling

Breeding areas in Fennoscandia, the Baltics, Poland, and very likely the Russian Federation are largely vacated during Oct – Mar. Although sometimes sparse, encounters during winter (Dec - Jan) occur throughout large parts of the range. During Oct - Mar, most encounters come from the British Isles and the Low Countries where residents and migrants mix during winter and where birds are thus encountered year-round. Also, in Iceland and the Faroes, recoveries are sparse but year-round. Encounters from S Europe, France, NW Africa and the Middle East are largely absent in the period May – Sep and mainly serve as wintering area.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Common Starling

Those birds encountered in the British Isles, the Low Countries and France in Dec – Jan are mainly connected, besides the area itself, to Fennoscandia, the Low Countries, N Germany, Poland, the Baltics and the Russian Federation; those in Iberia from the Low Countries, Switzerland, Austria, S Germany and the Czech Republic, and , and to a lesser extent, the Baltics and S Fennoscandia; those in Italy from the Czech Republic, the Balkans and the Russian Federation and those in N Africa from Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia. During Oct-Nov birds are encountered at coastal areas in the Baltics, N Germany, the Low Countries and France.

Henk van der Jeugd

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
Perdeck, A.C.1967 . The Starling as a passage migrant in Holland. Bird Study 14: 129–152

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