5 things you might not know about the starling

3 min read
5 things you might not know about the starling

Starlings are not always our favourite feeder visitors, but they are some of our most remarkable birds. Here are five reasons to look at them again.

1. They can copy a sound they have heard once

A male can have up to thirty-five song types and as many as fourteen different clicks, and a wild starling was once observed copying a sound it had heard only one time. They mimic other birds and a surprising range of everyday noises.

2. A murmuration can contain a million birds

Midwinter flocks in the UK range from 5,000 to 50,000 birds. In spring, over a million starlings gather before sunset over marshland in Denmark, a sight that locals call sort sol, meaning black sun. Roosts can hold up to 1.5 million birds, with droppings piling up to thirty centimetres deep.

3. Mozart owned one

Mozart bought a pet starling after hearing it sing a phrase from a piano concerto he had written only six weeks earlier, before it had been performed in public. The bird could sing part of his Piano Concerto in G major, and when it died three years later he gave it an elaborate funeral.

4. They stopped Big Ben

In 1949, so many starlings landed on the minute hand of the clock at Big Ben that it stopped. Starlings also make surprisingly good gardeners, probing the lawn for leatherjackets with jaw muscles built to open their bill, and a narrow skull that lets them look down it.

5. We have lost more than 80% of them

The number of starlings in the UK fell by more than 80% between 1966 and 2004. Only about 20% of nestlings reach breeding age, and the average starling lives two to three years. The oldest on record reached twenty-two years and eleven months.

A little starling folklore

Some say Mozart's starling even added variations of its own to his music. Pliny the Elder believed the birds could be taught sentences in Greek and Latin, and people say that dreaming of a flying starling is a sign of growth and prosperity.

Starlings were sacred to both the Celts and the Romans, and are thought to symbolise community, unity and family. Legend has it that starlings were released in New York by Eugene Schieffelin because he wanted to bring every bird mentioned by Shakespeare to America. The story appears to come from a 1948 essay and is probably speculation, though about sixty starlings really were released in Central Park in 1890.

What starlings like to eat, and where

Starlings love suet pellets, which are in every one of our seasonal blends, so a feeder just for them is a good way to keep them busy. If they take over completely, our Starling Proof Feeder Guardian Set is designed to keep them off the feeder so there is food left for the smaller birds. You can learn more in this blog post, and about their murmurations in this one. If you are not sure which feeder suits your garden, our feeding quiz will point you in the right direction.

Want to keep track of the starlings in your garden? Amidst the Birdsong: A Garden Birdwatcher's Journal is made for exactly that.

Want to read about more garden birds? See all the birds in this series.

While you're here

Because there's always something worth knowing about the birds in your garden.
Clare Cahill

Thank you for reading!

Clare Cahill is a bird enthusiast with a passion for observing and learning. While she definitely doesn’t have a formal degree in ornithology, Clare has dedicated hours to reading birding books and exploring nature, constantly expanding her knowledge and deepening her love for wildlife.

For Clare, birdwatching brings a sense of calm and connection to the world, offering a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. She believes that the more we connect with nature, the more we can do to protect and conserve it. Through her writing, Clare hopes to inspire others to take a moment to pause, look up, and appreciate the calm and connection that comes from letting a little wildness into our everyday lives.

About A Little Bird Co.

The seasonal bird food brand

We're a little company, supporting little birds. Find out more about what sets us apart.

  • What to feed the birds in summer

    Seasonal

    Birds have different dietary needs throughout the year, from nesting to moulting and surviving colder months. To support these changes, we’ve created seasonal blends – order a Seasonal Bird Food bag, and we’ll adjust the blend to match the season, making it easy to do something great for the birds.

  • Child holding bag of seasonal A Little Bird Co. bird food.

    Sustainable

    Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We don't farm, process, and transport cheap filler ingredients that birds simply kick to the floor. Instead, we focus on premium ingredients they love. Our packaging is compostable, and our bird feeders and nest boxes are tested for durability and longevity.

  • Songbird

    We design our food and select our range of feeders with little birds in mind. Every ingredient in our blends is chosen because small birds love it, simplifying your bird feeding routine. Our feeders provide safe access to food while helping to keep out larger, more dominant species. Look out for robins, blue tits, wrens, finches and more visiting your garden for our food.

  • Support

    With birds in your garden, you’re never alone - they’re the friends who always visit. Feeding them supports wildlife conservation while bringing joy and calm. Whether spotting a new species or simply watching their daily routines, just ten minutes a day strengthens your connection with nature and boosts your wellbeing.

When life feels busy, the birds keep it simple.

There’s something lovely about how feeding the birds becomes part of the rhythm of your day. A scoop of seed, a clean dish of water - and then a pause, just to watch who turns up. It doesn’t have to take long, but those moments can be surprisingly grounding. A little burst of mindfulness, fresh air, a chance to notice your garden as it changes throughout the seasons, and the cheerful flutter of wings - it’s good for the soul.

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