Birds
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgaris · Graur
A glossy, speckled bird that gathers in huge flocks outside the breeding season.
At a glance
- Status in Romania
- Migratory
- Habitat
- Urban / Meadow
- Activity
- Morning · Daytime
- Diet
- Omnivorous and opportunistic; feeds mostly on the ground but also in bushes and trees.
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)
- Photography difficulty
- Easy to observe
Photography Guide
Practical starting points based on the species’ behaviour and habitat, not fixed rules.
- Where and how to look
- Lawns, pastures and reedbed roosts in autumn.
- Best time / activity
- Morning · Daytime
- Behaviour to anticipate
- Flocks swirling over a roost at dusk.
- Photography difficulty
- Easy to observe
- Ethics
- Keep away from nests, do not use playback in the breeding season, and let the bird decide how close it comes.
Identification
Short-tailed black bird with a purple-green gloss, white spots in winter and a pointed yellow bill in spring.
Habitat
Open habitats with nest sites in tree cavities or buildings, with access to feeding areas.
Distribution
Present everywhere except the mountains.
Approximate range in Romania
Diet
Omnivorous and opportunistic; feeds mostly on the ground but also in bushes and trees.
Behaviour
Forms large flocks and roosts after breeding.
Seasonality in Romania
Breeds in Romania and is partly migratory. Birds in Transylvania and northern Moldavia are generally migratory, while in Oltenia, Muntenia, Dobrogea and southern Moldavia many stay over winter, especially in mild winters.
Monthly presence has not yet been source-verified.
Breeding
Breeds from April to June; 1–2 clutches a year of 4–6 eggs.