The spotless starling is a passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is closely related to the common starling, but has a much more restricted range, confined to the Iberian Peninsula, Northwest Africa, southernmost France, and the islands of Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia. It is largely non-migratory.
Region
Western Mediterranean
Typical Environment
Occurs across the Iberian Peninsula, northwest Africa, southernmost France, and the Mediterranean islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily. It favors open farmland, olive groves, orchards, and pastures, as well as towns, villages, and coastal scrub. Roosts may form in reedbeds, dense trees, or urban structures. It is largely sedentary with only local movements in winter.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A close relative of the common starling, the spotless starling is a glossy black bird that largely lacks the pale speckling of its cousin, especially in breeding plumage. It thrives in human-modified landscapes, nesting readily in cavities in buildings, trees, and cliffs. Where ranges overlap, it can hybridize with common starlings, and males are accomplished mimics, incorporating a wide range of sounds into their songs.
Temperament
social and gregarious
Flight Pattern
strong, direct flight with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Forms flocks outside the breeding season and gathers in large, noisy communal roosts. Nests in cavities in colonies or semi-colonially, often in buildings or tree holes. Pairs are typically seasonal monogamists, and in mild climates may raise multiple broods.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rich, varied warble with whistles, rattles, and clicks, often delivered from a prominent perch. Males are adept mimics, incorporating calls of other birds and environmental sounds into their songs.
Plumage
Uniform glossy black with a purple-green sheen; breeding birds show minimal or no pale spotting and have long, loose throat hackles. Non-breeding birds may show faint speckling but remain much plainer than common starlings; juveniles are dull brown before molting to glossy adult plumage.
Diet
Consumes a wide range of invertebrates such as beetles, caterpillars, and spiders, especially in the breeding season. Also takes fruits and berries including grapes, figs, and olives, and will exploit food scraps around human settlements. Forages mostly on the ground by probing and prying in short grass and cultivated fields.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in open pastures, grazed fields, orchards, and olive groves, as well as urban lawns and parks. Often follows livestock to pick invertebrates disturbed by grazing and will congregate where food is abundant.
