Common Starling

birds · mimicry · Europe

Shiny black feathers. Common starlings have sleek black feathers with a metallic shine that sparkles in the light, and they get white speckles on them at certain times of the year.

Expert copycat singers. These birds are so good at mimicking sounds that ancient writers like Shakespeare and Pliny the Elder wrote about their amazing ability to copy other birds and even human noises.

Color-changing bill. A starling's bill is black in winter but turns bright yellow in summer, and their legs are always pink, making them easy to spot.

Brown baby birds. Young starlings have brown feathers instead of the glossy black of adults, so they look quite different until they grow up.

Just the right size. Common starlings are medium-sized birds, about 20 centimeters (8 inches) long, making them easy to see but not huge.