Common Starling vs Keel-billed Toucan
Sturnus vulgaris compared with Ramphastos sulfuratus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Common Starling | Keel-billed Toucan |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Sturnus vulgaris | Ramphastos sulfuratus |
| Order | Passeriformes | Piciformes |
| Family | Sturnidae | Ramphastidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 21.5 cm (8.5 in) | 50.0 cm (19.7 in) |
| Wingspan | 37.0 cm (14.6 in) | 56.0 cm (22.0 in) |
| Weight | 78.0 g (2.75 oz) | 400.0 g (14.11 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — insects and larvae (especially leatherjackets), earthworms, fruit, and seeds. Probes soil with open … | Primarily fruit, supplemented with insects, lizards, eggs, and nestlings. Uses its long bill to reach … |
| Clutch Size | 4-7 | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Common Starling only
Keel-billed Toucan only
Common Starling
Open countryside, farmland, parks, and urban areas. Forms enormous communal roosts in winter, especially in urban environments.
Keel-billed Toucan
Tropical and subtropical lowland rainforests and forest edges from sea level to about 1,900 meters.
Song & Call Comparison
Common Starling
A complex mimic: rattles, whistles, clicks, and squeaks mixed with imitations of other birds. Song is a continuous medley. Also gives harsh 'scheer' alarm and chattering.
Keel-billed Toucan
Produces a repeated frog-like croaking 'prrrek-prrrek' or 'terrio-terrio'. Not melodic; the call resembles a mechanical rattle or frog. Also gives bill-clattering.
Geographic Range & Migration
Common Starling
Native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. Introduced to North America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Keel-billed Toucan
Southern Mexico through Central America to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.
Conservation Status
Common Starling
Keel-billed Toucan
How to Tell Them Apart
Common Starling
Glossy black plumage with iridescent purple and green sheen in breeding season. Winter plumage shows white spotting. Short tail and pointed wings in flight.
Long, pointed bill — yellow in breeding season, dark in winter
Keel-billed Toucan
Black body with a bright yellow throat and chest. Red undertail coverts. The enormous bill is green with orange sides, a blue patch, and a red tip.
Enormous, lightweight, multicolored bill up to 15 cm long — green, orange, blue, and red
About These Birds
Common Starling
The common starling is famous for its murmurations — vast swirling flocks of thousands that create mesmerizing patterns in winter skies. An accomplished mimic, it can imitate other birds, car alarms, and phone ringtones. Introduced to North America by a group intent on establishing every bird mentioned by Shakespeare.
Keel-billed Toucan
The keel-billed toucan is the national bird of Belize and one of the most recognizable birds in the Neotropics. Its oversized bill, which can be a third of its body length, is actually very light due to its hollow honeycomb structure. Toucans roost communally, with up to six adults squeezing into a single tree cavity.