Starlings are one of our most abundant species and are found all over the province. The invasion of Starlings into Nova Scotia began in 1915, 25 years after Europeans introduced them to New York City. Since then, Starlings have out-competed some of our native birds, for example the Eastern Bluebird, to the point that they are now considered very rare.

Despite their plentiful numbers, it is surprising how few people actually know the name of the Starling. Many people simply refer to them as blackbirds, which is misleading. Even though they are blackish in colour, they are not a member of the Blackbird family. They are also commonly confused with the similar looking Common Grackles, which are in the Blackbird family. Like the Common Grackle, the Starling is an aggressive, highly social species that travels in large noisy flocks.

You can easily tell the difference between the two species by noting the size of the birds you are looking at and the length of their tails. Grackles are Blue Jay-sized birds with long tails while Starlings are robin-sized birds with short tails. The name Starling means little star' and refers to the off white spots on the Starling's plumage. These spots appear in the fall and are gradually worn off during the winter, revealing a much blacker looking bird by spring. On sunny days, if you look carefully, you may see that the black of the Starling has hints of green and purple. Male and female Starlings look virtually identical but with binoculars you may be able to see the yellow ring that circles the iris in the eyes of the female Starling. While many birds change the colour of their feathers from their summer plumage to a winter one, few can change the colour of their bills, the Starling is one of them. In March the black bills begin to change to bright yellow.

Starlings are energetic, active birds which most often feed on the ground. Unlike many ground feeding backyard birds which hop, the Starling charges around with a very peculiar looking walk. The walk is usually performed by a whole flock of Starlings racing around madly in circles with short jerky steps and a hunched back with a waddle thrown in to spice it up. Starlings are very vocal birds that produce various squeaks, squeals and whistles. If you listen carefully, you will recognize that some are imitations of other birds.