: any of a family (Sturnidae, especially genus Sturnus) of usually dark gregarious oscine birds
especially
: a dark brown or in summer glossy greenish-black European bird (S. vulgaris) naturalized nearly worldwide and often considered a pest
Examples of starling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Wild Side of the Cotswolds The British Trust for Ornithology has released a report showing a sharp decline of several species of birds in Britain including a loss of millions of house sparrows, starlings, skylarks, and chaffinches.
—
Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Picture murmurations of starlings staining the sky like ink drops or flocks of sheep flowing like liquid.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 May 2026
The bird, which appears unharmed, matches the description of a starling, a medium-sized perching bird with over 100 species.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 May 2026
In 2008, the crew of a jetliner landing in Rome faced a similar situation as the Jeju crew and made a similar decision, conducting a go-around to try to avoid a flock of starlings.
—James Glanz, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for starling
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Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Picture murmurations of starlings staining the sky like ink drops or flocks of sheep flowing like liquid.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 May 2026
The bird, which appears unharmed, matches the description of a starling, a medium-sized perching bird with over 100 species.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 May 2026
In 2008, the crew of a jetliner landing in Rome faced a similar situation as the Jeju crew and made a similar decision, conducting a go-around to try to avoid a flock of starlings.
—James Glanz, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for starling
Cite this Entry
“Starling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starling. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
starling
noun
star·ling
ˈstär-liŋ 
: any of a family of usually dark-colored birds that tend to flock together
especially
: a dark brown or in summer glossy greenish black European bird that has been brought to the U.S. and is often considered a pest
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