The
common starling (
Sturnus vulgaris), also known as the
European starling, or in the British Isles just the
starling, is a medium-sized
passerine bird in the starling family,
Sturnidae. It is about long and has glossy black
plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer; young birds have browner plumage than the adults. It is a noisy bird, especially in
communal roosts and other gregarious situations, with an unmusical but varied song. Its gift for
mimicry has been noted in literature including the
Mabinogion and the works of
Pliny the Elder and
William Shakespeare.