The European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is an omnivorous bird species known for its remarkable adaptability and wide-ranging diet. This bird is highly successful across various environments because it consumes almost any available food source. Its feeding habits are driven by a need for high energy, enabling it to thrive in both natural and human-dominated landscapes. The starling’s diet shifts considerably depending on the season and local availability.
The Primary Natural Diet (Insects and Ground Foraging)
The most important component of the starling’s diet, especially during the spring and summer breeding season, is animal protein. They rely heavily on invertebrates to meet the high nutritional demands of raising their young, who are fed almost exclusively on insects. Adult starlings consume a variety of prey, including beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, spiders, earthworms, and the larvae of crane flies, often called leatherjackets. This focus on invertebrates means starlings spend a significant amount of time foraging on the ground in open areas like lawns and short grasslands.
The starling employs a specialized feeding behavior known as “gaping” to find prey hidden beneath the surface. The bird inserts its closed bill into the soil or turf and then uses powerful muscles to force the bill open, prying apart the substrate to expose insects and larvae. This unique technique allows them to access food unavailable to many other ground-feeding birds. This foraging style, combined with their large consumption of agricultural pests, means starlings can play a role in natural pest control, despite their reputation as a nuisance.
Plant-Based Foods and Seasonal Shifts
As the seasons change and insect populations decline, the starling diet transitions to plant-based foods, which are higher in carbohydrates and fats. This seasonal shift is critical for building up energy reserves needed for migration or surviving the colder months. During the autumn and winter, starlings seek out wild fruits, berries, and seeds, which are more readily available than insects.
Specific examples of preferred plant foods include:
- Wild cherries
- Grapes
- Mulberries
- Elderberries
- The fruits of sumac
They also consume grains and seeds from fields, making them a concern for some agricultural operations. The starling’s digestive system is adaptable; its intestine temporarily lengthens slightly to better process the increased plant matter, which is generally harder to digest than the soft-bodied insects they consume in summer.
Starling Feeding Habits in Residential Areas
In suburban and urban settings, starlings are highly opportunistic, readily exploiting human-provided food sources. They are frequent and aggressive visitors to backyard bird feeders, where their flock-feeding behavior allows them to rapidly deplete supplies. They show a strong preference for high-fat and high-protein foods like suet, mealworms, and cracked corn.
Starlings are less successful with larger, hard-shelled seeds like black oil sunflower seeds because their beaks are better adapted for probing and gaping than for cracking tough shells. Their opportunistic nature extends to scavenging human waste, including discarded food scraps and open garbage containers. They will also eagerly consume pet food, such as dog or cat kibble, that is left outdoors. This ready access to a consistent, high-calorie diet in residential areas contributes significantly to their success in non-native ranges.
How to Manage Starling Presence
Homeowners looking to discourage starlings can focus on controlling access to these preferred food sources. One of the most effective strategies at bird feeders is to switch to specialized equipment. Using weight-activated feeders or caged feeders allows smaller songbirds to enter and feed while excluding the larger, heavier starling.
Changing the type of food offered can also be a deterrent since starlings are particular about certain seeds. They generally dislike safflower, thistle (Nyjer), and peanuts in the shell, which can be offered instead of their preferred cracked corn or suet. Additionally, removing ground-level food sources, such as securing trash cans and bringing pet food indoors immediately after feeding, reduces the overall appeal of a yard.