Spotless Starling
Sturnus unicolor
Silhouette: Gareth Monger · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilySturnidae (Starlings)
- GenusSturnus (European and Spotless Starlings)
- SpeciesSturnus unicolor (Spotless Starling)
About the Spotless Starling
The spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor) is a passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is closely related to the common starling (S. vulgaris), but has a much more restricted range, confined to the Iberian Peninsula, Northwest Africa, southernmost France, and the islands of Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia. It is largely non-migratory.
Subsequent to the recent split of the genus Sturnus, this species and the common starling are the only species retained in the genus. Hybrids with the common starling are found occasionally where the breeding ranges overlap in southwestern France and northeastern Spain.
The adult spotless starling is very similar to the common starling, but marginally larger (21–23 cm length; 70–100 g weight), and has darker, oily-looking black plumage, slightly purple- or green-glossed in bright light, which is entirely spotless in spring and summer, and only with very small pale spots in winter plumage, formed by the pale tips of the feathers. It also differs in having conspicuously longer throat feathers (twice the length of those on common starlings), forming a shaggy "beard" which is particularly obvious when... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Spotless Starling in Sierra Nevada National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Sierra Nevada National Park
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Eurasian Blackbird
Turdus merula
European Serin
Serinus serinus
Eurasian Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis
Great Tit
Parus major
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapilla
Sardinian Warbler
Curruca melanocephala
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
European Greenfinch
Chloris chloris
European Robin
Erithacus rubecula
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Spotless Starling in Sierra Nevada National Park?
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Spotless Starling sighting in Sierra Nevada National Park, based on 1,413 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Spotless Starling in Sierra Nevada National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Spotless Starling in Sierra Nevada National Park in our monthly data.