Starlings mostly don’t leave for winter the way swallows do. Many simply shift to new spots nearby, so the birds that seem to vanish from a lawn are often only a few miles away, packed into towns, valleys, and farms.1Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Starlings A share of starlings does migrate, and how far depends on where they breed and even on the individual bird.2Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Starlings
Do Starlings Migrate
Wildlife biologists describe starlings as partially migratory, meaning some birds in a population leave for winter while others stay.3Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Starlings In their native range, the split follows geography. In western and southern Europe and southwestern Asia, starlings are year-round residents.4Wikipedia. Common starling Starlings from northeastern Europe, though, move south and west each winter.5Wikipedia. Common starling Most of those migrants stay within the species’ breeding range, while some go further, to Spain, Portugal, and North Africa.6Wikipedia. Common starling So a starling wintering in Britain or the Netherlands may have hatched in Scandinavia or Russia.
North America shows the same mix. Starlings were brought to the continent and now live across most of it. Birds in the coldest northern areas are the most likely to shift south or toward towns, while birds in milder areas often stay put all year. The numbers at a site can even rise in winter while the local summer birds leave, because newcomers fill the gap.
After breeding, starlings stop defending nest sites and start traveling as flocks. A yard that hosted a few nesting pairs may see none for weeks, while the same birds feed in fields by day and roost in town at night.
Telling residents from winter visitors by sight is not possible without leg bands, and winter plumage, with its white spots, looks the same on both. Changes in flock size are one clue, though not proof: a jump in late autumn may reflect arrivals, but it can also be local birds gathering into bigger flocks.
Researchers face the same problem. Because one population contains both movers and stayers, a single bird can’t be labeled from its species alone. They learn who goes where mainly from leg rings recovered far from where birds were marked, and from tracking devices, not from watching flocks. A bird’s own behavior can also change between years, so a resident one winter might travel in a harsher one.
Where Starlings Spend Winter Nights
Many starlings move into valleys and urban areas during the winter.7Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Starlings They sleep together in a communal night spot, or roost, and use a huge range of sites for it, with their choice changing from season to season.8The Auk (OpenAlex). Roosting Behavior of the Starling in Central Pennsylvania A winter roost might be a bridge, a stand of trees, a building ledge, or a reed bed.
Towns offer warmth. Studied urban roost sites were warmer than nearby non-roost spots, because roosts tended to sit close to buildings, which give off heat.9Landscape and Urban Planning. Roost selection flexibility of European starlings aids invasion of urban landscape
Farms, especially dairies, are winter magnets. Starlings use structures on dairy farms as overnight sleeping sites.10Birds. Seasonal Use of Dairies as Overnight Roosts by Common Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) The number of starlings at dairies rose as temperatures fell and days got shorter, with more birds in winter and spring than in summer.11MDPI / Birds. Seasonal Use of Dairies as Overnight Roosts by Common Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)
A typical winter day follows a rhythm. At dawn, birds leave the night roost in waves and spread out to feed on fields, lawns, and farm feed. In late afternoon, smaller groups join into larger flocks heading back, and they settle in around dusk and stay all night.
Sharing a roost may also help with food. One idea is that a big roost pools the experience of many birds, so those that fed poorly can follow others to better fields next morning.
Sites get chosen for shelter from wind and rain, warmth where it can be found, and an easy flight to the fields and lawns where the birds feed. They can also be abandoned if disturbed, so a roost that held thousands one winter may be empty the next.
To find one near you, watch which direction flocks fly in late afternoon and follow lines of birds converging toward one spot. Look near water, bridges, city centres, or farm buildings, and arrive about half an hour before sunset to see them gather.
Why Starlings Form Murmurations
A murmuration is the swirling display a flock makes before settling into its night roost. The best evidence points to it being mainly a defence against predators.12PubMed Central. Birds of a feather flock together: Insights into starling murmuration behaviour revealed using citizen science The idea that the swirl draws more birds to a roost for warmth got only weak support.13PubMed Central. Birds of a feather flock together: Insights into starling murmuration behaviour revealed using citizen science
The swirl protects because a hawk or falcon struggles to single out one bird in a shifting mass. A raptor like a sparrowhawk or peregrine hunts best by locking onto one target, and the tight packing also makes a hunter wary of colliding with other birds. A flock that sees an attacker can turn away in unison, so the predator rarely gets a clean run. More eyes in the flock also mean earlier warning.
The flock moves as one because each bird adjusts to the few birds nearest it, not because a leader directs it. A change by one bird at the edge can ripple through the whole flock in a fraction of a second. As the flock thickens and thins, it makes shapes, including dark bands that appear and fade, and sudden dark pulses often follow a predator’s attack. The display ends when the birds pour down into the roost, often within minutes.
Season and weather change how long the displays last. Colder evenings brought somewhat longer swirling flocks, but temperature did not affect flock size.14PubMed Central. Birds of a feather flock together: Insights into starling murmuration behaviour revealed using citizen science Day length mattered more, with the longest displays early and late in the season.15PubMed Central. Birds of a feather flock together: Insights into starling murmuration behaviour revealed using citizen science The shortest came in the darkest, usually coldest weeks of midwinter.16PubMed Central. Birds of a feather flock together: Insights into starling murmuration behaviour revealed using citizen science
For the best view, go on a clear, calm evening near a known roost and watch the last half hour before sunset. Stand back so you don’t flush the birds, and listen for the whoosh of wings as they drop in.
How Starlings Survive the Cold
Starlings’ body weight and fat stores rise from autumn to midwinter.17Ibis. THE AUTUMN AND WINTER MORTALITY OF STARLINGS STURNUS VULGARIS, IN RELATION TO THEIR FOOD SUPPLY Two snowy spells barely affected their weight.18Ibis. THE AUTUMN AND WINTER MORTALITY OF STARLINGS STURNUS VULGARIS, IN RELATION TO THEIR FOOD SUPPLY Early autumn may actually be the leanest time.19Ibis. THE AUTUMN AND WINTER MORTALITY OF STARLINGS STURNUS VULGARIS, IN RELATION TO THEIR FOOD SUPPLY Early autumn is hard because the soil grubs starlings rely on become hard to find, and grain from harvested fields and other winter foods may not be available yet. Moulting costs energy too, since growing new feathers takes resources.
Fat is the bird’s fuel tank for the long night, when it cannot feed and must keep burning energy to stay warm. A heavier bird going into a cold night has more in reserve if the next day brings poor feeding.
Bodies adjust as well. In related Asian starling species, winter brought higher body mass, bigger organs, more food eaten, and a faster resting metabolism.20Avian Research. Seasonal phenotypic flexibility in body mass, basal thermogenesis, and tissue oxidative capacity in the male Silky Starling (Sturnus sericeus) Cold-adapted birds of another starling species grew heavier intestines, helping them process more food.21PubMed. Phenotypic flexibility in metabolic adjustments and digestive function in white-shouldered starlings: responses to short-term temperature acclimation Because the evidence comes from related species, it is a reasonable guide to common starlings, though not direct proof. Starlings likely keep warm by eating more and running their bodies hotter, not by escaping the cold.
Diet shifts to match. Starlings move from insects toward seeds, grain, berries, and scraps. Livestock feed on farms is an easy winter source, and lawns still yield some soil grubs on mild days.
A warm roost matters because small birds lose heat fast on long winter nights. Sleeping near buildings or in packed groups cuts that loss, and the saved energy means less food needed the next day.
Are Starlings Migrating Less Than They Used To
Warmer winters in northwest Europe have brought suitable wintering areas closer to many birds’ breeding grounds.22Global Change Biology. Climate change leads to decreasing bird migration distances For half of 24 species tracked from the Netherlands over seven decades, winter distances shrank.23Global Change Biology. Climate change leads to decreasing bird migration distances Birds also traveled less far in warmer winters.24Global Change Biology. Climate change leads to decreasing bird migration distances More partial migrants like starlings may therefore winter near where they bred.
The Dutch result covers 24 species, not just starlings. Distances shrank for half of them, while the other half showed no clear shrinking. Starlings are an example of the general trend rather than a measured case.
Dealing With Winter Starling Flocks
Starlings roosting on dairies leave droppings on cows, feed, and supplies.25Birds. Seasonal Use of Dairies as Overnight Roosts by Common Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) Droppings contaminated cattle feed far more often in winter.26PubMed. A longitudinal study of feed contamination by European starling excreta in Ohio dairy farms (2007-2008) The chance of finding disease-causing germs in droppings was lower in winter samples, though more droppings raised it.27PubMed. A longitudinal study of feed contamination by European starling excreta in Ohio dairy farms (2007-2008) The winter problem is mainly the sheer volume of mess: many birds in one roost mean heavy deposits in a small area, so cleanup and feed protection matter most when flocks are biggest.
On farms, cover feed bunks and store feed in closed bins. Net or block rafters and open beams used for roosting, and clean contaminated feed areas regularly. Timing matters here. Once a roost is established, birds return night after night and are hard to shift, so blocking access before flocks settle in late autumn is far easier than evicting them later. Proofing needs to cover the actual entry points, since birds will use any gap that stays open.
At home, seal vents, eaves, and gaps before winter. Use feeders with cages that admit only small birds, and avoid offering bread and scraps that draw flocks. Remove fallen fruit and spilled seed.
When cleaning heavy deposits, wear gloves and a mask, and dampen dry droppings to avoid raising dust. Wash your hands afterwards.