Spotless starling

    Sturnus unicolor

Castilian: Estornino negro

Catalan: Estornell negre

Gallego: Estorniño negro

Euskera: Araba zozo beltza

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

Its population is expanding. The only possible threat is this species' hybridisation with the common starling.

Length / size: 21-23 cm / 38-42 cm

Identification: Medium-sized bird whose plumage is black and shiny. It is not mottled, and its pointy bill is yellow in summer and dark in winter. In contrast with the thrush, it moves more upright and by walking instead of taking small hops. It is easily observed in groups of several specimens, and they look like black spots perched on electric cables near motorways.

Song: It is a skilled imitator and it has a very wide repertoire of sounds.

Diet: In spring and summer it feeds on invertebrates such as beetles and grasshoppers; in autumn and winter, primarily on seeds and fruits.

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 is carried out by the female, but both parents feed the chicks.

HABITAT

It has no specific preferences, although it is primarily found in clearings and farming areas where there is obvious human influence.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: Widely distributed and present in the entire peninsula, although it avoids elevated areas like the Cantabrian and Pyrenees Mountains.

In Castile and León: Widely distributed in all the provinces. The densest concentrations are located in irrigation and livestock raising areas in Salamanca, Segovia and Zamora.

Movements and migrations: It is a sedentary species with local migrations during winter.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 2 to 2.5 million breeding species.

In Castile and León: