The bill is dark brown in winter. Young Starlings have brown-grey feathers and a whitish throat. Juveniles are brown with a dark bill, and might be confused with female and juvenile blackbirds, except for their characteristically short tails. The tip of the tail just barely extends beyond the tips of the closed wings. In flight, the Starling has a distinctly triangular shape.
Females usually have a slightly more spotted appeareance.
As a relative of the Mynah, the Starling is an excellent mimic, and frequently imitates the calls of many other species of birds. The call of the Starling is frequently mistaken for that of a Robin, Bobwhite Quail or a Meadow Lark. The European Starling is believed to have been introduced to the United States circa 1890, when approximately 100 birds were released in New York City. After living in that part of the country for about 30 years, they rapidly extended their range. In 1994, there was an estimated population of 140 million birds.