Bird school

• Brambling
• Blue tit
• Bullfinch
• Blackbird
• Barn swallow
• Bohemian waxwing
• Black woodpecker
• Black redstart
• Blackcap
• Chaffinch
• Chiffchaff
• Crow
• Coal tit
• Crested tit
• Common swift
• Common treecreeper
• Dunnock
• Fieldfare
• Greenfinch
• Goldfinch
• Greater woodpecker
• Garden warbler
• Great tit
• Green woodpecker
• House martin
• House sparrow
• Hawfinch
• Jackdaw
• Linnet
• Long-tailed tit
• Lesser whitethroat
• Lesser spotted woodpecker
• Marsh tit
• Magpie
• Mistle thrush
• Nightingale
• Nuthatch
• Pheasant
• Pied flycatcher
• Redpoll
• Rook
• Redstart
• Robin
• Spotted flycatcher
• Siskin
• Starling
• Song thrush
• Yellowhammer
• Winter wren
• Willow
• Tree sparrow
• Wood pigeon
• White wagtail
• Willow tit
• Whitethroat

The starling

(Sturnus vulgaris)

Length: 22 cm
Breeding: May
Maximum age: 22 years
Eggs and clutches: Incubation two weeks. 4 - 6 eggs.


Did you know?

.
The male


. The young bird

Starlings gather in large numbers on common sleeping sites, such as widely stretched reeds, trees or house fronts. In London, the numbers of starlings that stay for the winter have been estimated at 3 million! On the largest sleeping sites more than 50 000 birds stay the night. In likeness with so many other birds with familiar sounds, the starling was also considered a reliable weather forecaster. When he let out his soft, fluty whistle, people were certain it was going to rain.

Appearance
Has a heavy body, a large head with a long yellow beak and a short tail. The plumage is black with a strong metallic gleam of green, blue and violet, with small white spots.

Similar bird
The blackbird has a longer tail and no small spots on its black coat. The starling walks rapidly across the lawn whereas the blackbird takes a few cautious steps, stops, and then continues.

Sounds and song
The flight call is a typical warble, and the song is very varied and consists of high, fluty notes, whistling, humming, squeaking, clicking etc.

Food and bird tables
Lives off insects and their larvae, worms, snails as well as various berries, fruits and seeds.

The nest and hollows
Lives in tree hollows and likes nesting boxes. It was the people of India who invented the nesting box, and it was through the Orient that the boxes were brought to Europe at the end of the 18th century.



You can find birds here during the following seasons:

During migration
All year round
Winter
Summer



Listen to birds sounds here:

Song
Call (young bird)
Warning

Hold the cursor over the speaker at the sound you would like to hear.


Why do birds sing »

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