Starling vs Blackbird
How to tell these two garden look-alikes apart.
The quickest tell. Starling: glossed green and purple, spangled with pale spots in winter. Blackbird: male matt black with a bright orange-yellow bill and eye-ring.
Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
How to spot it
- Glossed green and purple, spangled with pale spots in winter
- Walks and struts rather than hopping
- Pointed triangular wings in flight, and a long yellow bill in spring
Birder's tip: That confident strutting walk is the quickest way to tell it from a hopping Blackbird.
Photo: Luiz Lapa, CC BY (iNaturalist)
Blackbird
Turdus merula
How to spot it
- Male matt black with a bright orange-yellow bill and eye-ring
- Female dark brown with a faintly mottled breast, often mistaken for a different bird
- Hops and pauses head-cocked; no sheen and no spots
Birder's tip: The orange bill and eye-ring on a jet-black male are unmistakable; the plain brown female fools many.
At a glance
| Starling | Blackbird | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | smaller than a Blackbird | the reference "blackbird-sized" |
| When you'll see it | Resident, here all year | Resident, here all year |
| Latin name | Sturnus vulgaris | Turdus merula |
Hear the difference
Their calls are often the giveaway. Have a listen.
Starling call
Blackbird call
Learn them so they stick
Learn Birds teaches the UK's birds by sight and song, with real photos and recordings. It uses spaced repetition so the difference sticks for good.
Free. No signup. Works offline.