The symbolism of the starling

Starlings? This is rarely the breed of bird anyone mentions. You have heard of bluebirds, sparrows, owls and eagles often. Why would anyone care about starlings? What does the starling represent in our lives, in Gods bigger picture?

Shakespeare mentioned starlings in Henry IV, Act 10 “Nay, I’ll have a starling shall be taught to speak nothing but Mortimer and give it to him to keep his anger still in motion.” As such well-meaning Shakespearean enthusiasts introduced starlings into the American ecosystem in 1880. Many introduced species soon become invasive; the starling is not the exception to this rule. Introduced species often adapt and overreproduce to make up for their numbers. Many Americans see starlings as nothing but pests. They are dangerous to other bird species and are known to kick birds such as bluebirds, woodpeckers and even owls out of their nests. Large flocks can damage crops and farmers have had to become creative to scare them off.

My experience with the native starling of my country, the cape glossy starling, has been wonderful. Whenever I see a starling, I stop and stare. It has been a favourite of mine for years. With its gorgeous blue feathers catching the sunlight, it appears to sparkle. When it takes off into the sky, its wings glow.

Starlings are intelligent

Each starling can learn the call of up to 20 species including humans. They can recognise the voice of humans and have been part of the research into the evolution of human language. Starlings rank among the most advanced avian vocal learners such as ravens, crows, cockatoos, and parrots. Vocal learning in birds is thought to be linked to problem-solving and brain size. The most intelligent of these, close to rivalling the chimpanzee, is the raven. Ravens are capable of very human-like behaviours such as empathy, bartering, planning and even occasionally outthinking humans.

Starlings have a lot of surprising symbolism. They can represent community, defence of loved ones, communication, intuition, and inner voice.

Starling murmurations

Starlings are known for the phenomenon of murmurations. Only starlings can fly exactly in these flight patterns. They form a cloud to defend themselves by confusing predators such as falcons and eventually put distance between them and said predator. This is a symbol of community, the defence of loved ones. Can we move in sync with God and protect one another from the enemy?

Starling instincts

Starlings have incredible instincts. Starlings can taste the difference between salt, sugars, citric acid, and tannins (Bitterness found in fruits). This can be seen in a small group of bird species too. What makes them unique is their ability to taste the difference between sucrose (table sugar) and other kinds of sugar. This is incredible as starlings cannot digest sucrose. They have the intuition to recognise when something that looks and seems like a good idea might be hiding harmful features.

There is always beauty and meaning in Gods creation.

When I see a starling, despite the general sentinient, I feel a weight lift off my shoulders. I feel seen and loved by God. The way we experience God might be different and the way he taps us on the shoulder might come in strange ways, but we should be ready to listen.