All starlings came from Europe. Starlings weren't alone when they came here. They were with many other birds. All the other birds died, but starlings not only did not die, but they became common. As a matter of fact starlings are now the most common bird in the United States.
Starlings eat a variety of foods.
They are omnivores. Their food ranges from nuts and seeds to berries and bugs depending on which are most plentiful. Starlings being able to change their diets is one reason they are common. At times when there isn't enough food starlings will eat garbage. What a starling sounds like depends on where it lives.