Starling

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/starling

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Sturnus vulgaris
2. What is the family?Sturnidae
3. What does a starling look like?Starlings have a compact body, short tail, pointed wings, and a slender bill that turns dark in winter and yellow in summer. Their feathers are mostly black but shine with green and purple when light hits them, and young starlings have more yellow spots.
4. How do starlings make their amazing sounds?Starlings are great mimics. They can learn and repeat sounds from other birds, animals, and even cars or people. They use these sounds to talk to each other and attract mates.

Passerine: A bird belonging to the order Passeriformes, characterized by a perching foot and often complex vocalizations.
Morphology: The study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features.
Phylogeny: The evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms.
Behavioral plasticity: The ability of an organism to change its behavior in response to environmental changes or challenges.