European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Cordats)
ClassAves (Aus)
OrderPasseriformes
FamilySturnidae (Starlings)
GenusSturnus (European and Spotless Starlings)
SpeciesSturnus vulgaris (European Starling)

Insufficient data

overall probability at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

1 Verified records at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, and as the European starling in North America, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about 20 cm (8 in) long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of the year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer; young birds have browner plumage than the adults. Its gift for mimicry has been noted in literature including the Mabinogion and the works of Pliny the Elder and William Shakespeare. The common starling has about 12 subspecies breeding in open habitats across its native range in temperate Europe and across the Palearctic to western Mongolia, and it has been introduced as an invasive species to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa and Fiji. This bird is resident in western and southern Europe and southwestern Asia, while northeastern populations migrate south and west in the winter within the breeding range and also further south to Iberia and North Africa. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Lamprotornis nitens

60–70% · Likely

Creatophora cinerea

10–20% · With luck

Lamprotornis australis

<5% · Rare

Onychognathus nabouroup

Lamprotornis bicolor

Dicrurus adsimilis

Plocepasser mahali

Philetairus socius

Laniarius atrococcineus

50–60% · Likely

Bradornis mariquensis

50–60% · Likely

Sporopipes squamifrons

50–60% · Likely

Crithagra flaviventris

50–60% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of European Starling at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Probability
1	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	70–80%
2	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	70–80%
3	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	60–70%
4	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	60–70%
5	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	60–70%
6	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	50–60%
7	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	50–60%
8	Gauja National Park	🇱🇻 Latvia	40–50%
9	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	40–50%
10	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	30–40%
11	Tongariro National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	30–40%
12	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	30–40%
13	Fiordland National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	30–40%
14	Rakiura National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	30–40%
15	Great Otway National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	30–40%
16	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	30–40%
17	Abel Tasman National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	20–30%
18	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	20–30%
19	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	20–30%
20	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	20–30%
21	Wilsons Promontory National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	20–30%
22	Arthur's Pass National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	20–30%
23	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	20–30%
24	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	20–30%
25	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	20–30%
26	Aoraki Mount Cook National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	20–30%
27	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	20–30%
28	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	20–30%
29	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	20–30%
30	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	20–30%
31	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	20–30%
32	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	20–30%
33	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	10–20%
34	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	10–20%
35	Maria Island National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	10–20%
36	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	10–20%
37	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	10–20%
38	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	10–20%
39	Badlands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	10–20%
40	Freycinet National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	10–20%
41	Kosciuszko National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	10–20%
42	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	10–20%
43	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	10–20%
44	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	10–20%
45	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	10–20%
46	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	5–10%
47	Blue Mountains National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	5–10%
48	Tatra National Park	🇸🇰 Slovakia	5–10%
49	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
50	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	5–10%
51	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
52	Thingvellir National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	5–10%
53	Grampians National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	5–10%
54	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
55	Vatnajokull National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	5–10%
56	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	5–10%
57	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
58	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	5–10%
59	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
60	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	5–10%
61	Triglav National Park	🇸🇮 Slovenia	5–10%
62	Hemis National Park	🇮🇳 India	5–10%
63	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	5–10%
64	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
65	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
66	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
67	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
68	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
69	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
70	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
71	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
72	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
73	Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park	🇲🇳 Mongolia	<5%
74	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
75	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
76	Royal National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
77	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
78	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
79	Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
80	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
81	Voyageurs National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
82	Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
83	Flinders Ranges National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
84	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
85	Picos de Europa National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	Insufficient data
86	Booderee National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
87	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
88	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
89	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	Insufficient data
90	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	Insufficient data
91	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
92	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	Insufficient data
93	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
94	Lamington National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
95	Doi Inthanon National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data

← Back to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

European Starling

Closest Relatives at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Red-shouldered Glossy-starling

Wattled Starling

Burchell's Glossy-starling

Pale-winged Starling

Pied Starling

Fork-tailed Drongo

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

Social Weaver

Crimson-breasted Gonolek

Mariqua Flycatcher

Scaly Weaver

Yellow Canary

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found