In flight, the Starling has a distinctly triangular shape. The European Starling is about the same size as a Robin. Summer plumage is a glossy black with iridescencent purple and green feathers that are tipped in white. The legs are a reddish color. The bill is tapered and conical, and is yellow-colored in the summer.
Winter plumage is black with light colored tips on the feathers.
Both summer and winter plumage give the Starling a distinctly speckled appearance. 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.