Starling Sturnus vulgaris

Very common and widespread breeding resident (elsewhere on Shetland) and passage migrant

The earliest record for this species is from Evans and Buckley, who noted that birds bred on the island in the early 19^th century (Pennington et al. 2004).

In the 1970s and into the early 1980s the breeding population was estimated at between 100 and 300 pairs (Furness, 1983). These flocks, which mainly comprised of these local birds and their offspring, amalgamate, and by late August they have formed two or three flocks of 200-300 birds. These flocks move around the island by day, and roost on the cliffs at night, particularly at Logat and the Noup (Furness, 1983).

Occasional leucistic and albino birds have been recorded in the 1990s. Peak numbers fluctuate widely, but flocks regularly reach between 200 and 400 birds in August and September.