General Description: European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are medium-sized, sexually monomorphic, black birds with green and purple sheen. The bill is long, pointed, and yellow. The tail is short for a blackbird, and in flight, the bird looks triangular. During winter, Starlings lose the yellow on the bill and the glossy black feathers, replacing them with a coat of yellow speckles.

Taxonomy: Passeriformes, Sturnidae.

Favored Habitat: Urban areas, agricultural fields, and feed lots.

Where to Find: Around Las Vegas, look for European Starlings in parking lots, urban parks, and agricultural areas.

Comments: These birds were introduced from Europe and are a big problem for cavity nesting birds (e.g., bluebirds, swallows, American Kestrels, and woodpeckers). A flock of European Starlings will gang up on the cavity resident, kill or drive them out, and let one pair of starlings take over the nest hole.

These are also the birds that fly in great flocks and swirl around the sky in coordination, looking like a dark-colored mass of madness. When not flying or feeding, these birds roost in urban trees and make huge amounts of bird mess on the ground.