 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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-1.59 (-2.34 - -0.862)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
With sightings in 1,169 squares, European Starlings were common across much of the populated and agricultural south of Saskatchewan. Although often associated with people, they usually avoided the centres of larger cities and towns, preferring to remain on the outskirts. In the boreal forest, European Starlings were rare and almost always associated with human infrastructure, except for one observation along the Churchill River, about 40 km northwest of Pelican Narrows. Given their relatively close association with people, breeding confirmations were easy to obtain and were reported as early as 17 March, with confirmed breeding as far north as Points North Landing.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
One thousand starlings were introduced from Europe into New York City in 1890 and 1891 (Roy 1996). From there they spread rapidly to become permanent residents over most of North America, from southern Alaska to southern Labrador south to northern Mexico and the Caribbean (AOU 1998). Starlings have also been introduced to South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
"During the breeding season, starlings prefer more open habitats such as farmland and urban areas to closed forests. Foraging occurs in pastures, lawns, garbage dumps and feedlots? (Smith 1996). With the arrival of winter the species is restricted mainly to garbage dumps and feedlots. Starlings sometimes roost around chimneys to keep warm.
The European Starling is "a common resident throughout the settled south, and uncommon and local in the Boreal Forest north to Cluff Lake and Sandy Bay? (Smith 1996). During the winter it is uncommon north to La Ronge.
Original text by P. Lawrence Beckie. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the European Starling in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. European Starling in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=EUST&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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