The white-cheeked starling or grey starling is a passerine bird of the starling family. It is native to eastern Asia where it is a common and well-known bird in much of its range.
Region
East Asia
Typical Environment
Native to eastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan, with occasional records in the Russian Far East and Taiwan. It favors open country with scattered trees, agricultural landscapes, parks, and urban green spaces. The species often forages on lawns, fields, and along riverbanks, and readily exploits human-altered habitats. It nests in cavities in trees, buildings, and nest boxes, and adapts well to suburban environments.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also called the grey starling, it thrives around human settlements and farmland, where it readily uses nest boxes and building cavities. It often forms sizable winter flocks and can help control insect populations, though it may also feed in rice paddies and orchards. Partial movements occur across its range, with some northern breeders shifting south in winter.
White-cheeked starling
Fledglings
![Hybrid of white-cheeked starling and red-billed starling, Japan. Such a hybrid has been recorded by the Japanese Journal of Ornithology.[4]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/White-cheeked_Starling_perching_on_a_rock.jpg/1280px-White-cheeked_Starling_perching_on_a_rock.jpg)
Hybrid of white-cheeked starling and red-billed starling, Japan. Such a hybrid has been recorded by the Japanese Journal of Ornithology.[4]
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
direct flight with short, rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Often seen in flocks outside the breeding season, foraging and roosting communally. Pairs nest in cavities and may breed loosely colonial where sites are abundant. Both sexes participate in provisioning the young and defend the immediate nest area.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A varied medley of whistles, chirps, and chattering notes, delivered from exposed perches. Calls can be harsh and scolding in flocks, with rapid chatter during social interactions.
Plumage
Smooth grey-brown upperparts with paler underparts and a contrasting white cheek patch; darker blackish crown and nape. In flight, shows a subtle white wing patch and pale edging on the wings. Bill is yellow-orange (often with a dusky tip outside breeding), and legs are bright orange.
Diet
Consumes insects such as beetles, caterpillars, and flies, as well as spiders and earthworms. Supplements animal prey with fruits and berries including persimmon and mulberry, and will also take grains and food scraps in urban areas. Forages mainly on the ground by walking and probing, occasionally hawking short-distance aerial insects.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in open habitats like lawns, parks, fields, rice paddies, and along river margins. Often associates with livestock and human activity where invertebrates are concentrated, and exploits urban green spaces.
