Starling — Birds

The story behind the answer

Starling is correct because starlings are compact, dark birds with a metallic green-purple sheen and fine pale speckles, a short tail, and a straight, slender bill (yellow in breeding season). They fly with sharp, triangular wings and gather in chattering flocks. By contrast, swallows have long, scythe-like wings and a deeply forked tail, gulls are larger pale seabirds with webbed feet, and swans are very large waterfowl.

Starlings are famous mimics, weaving whistles, other birds’ songs, and even car alarms into their complex vocalizations. Their swirling “murmurations” at dusk are iconic. Memory tip: “Star-ling” — think star-like speckles and starry-sky murmurations. Introduced to North America in the 1890s, they’re now among the continent’s most widespread birds.