Common starling

    Sturnus vulgaris

Castilian: Estornino pinto

Catalan: Estornell vulgar

Gallego: Estorniño pinto

Euskera: Araba zozo pikarta

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Sturnidae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

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THREATS

It is not threatened, although it is affected by agricultural intensification and hybridisation with the common starling.

Length / size: 21-22 cm / 37-42 cm

Identification: The same size as a thrush with black plumage that is full of yellowish-white dots with a bright metallic green colour. Its tail is short, its legs are brownish-pink, and its bill is long and is yellow in summer and black in winter.

Song: Large repertoire of sibilant sounds, clicks, chirps, etc. It is a very skilled imitator.

Diet: In spring and summer it feeds on invertebrates (they make up the food for the chicks), while in autumn and winter it is practically vegetarian.

Reproduction: It is a gregarious species during the entire year and pairs can be monogamous or polygamous. The breeding period begins in March with the construction of the nest in a rock wall or a hole in a tree. The incubation and feeding it done by the mother. When the chicks leave the nest, they form groups with specimens of the same age.

HABITAT

Its habitat is variable, although it normally occupies peripherial urban areas with open and flat areas, such as irrigated farmland.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: During winter it is distributed throughout the entire peninsula, and the breeding population is primarily located in Catalonia, Navarre, Basque Country, and the Cantabrian coastline to Asturias.

In Castile and León: During breeding season, it is found in Valladolid and Burgos, but its habitat is expanding inside the community. When wintering, it is numerous in all the provinces, principally in farming areas where specimens roost together.

Movements and migrations: In the peninsula, it behaves as a partially migratory or resident species. During winter, specimens from central and northern Europe arrive. The pre-mating passage takes place between February and April, and the post-mating between September and November.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 400000 to 1.2 million breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: There is an estimated population of 20-50 breeding pairs.