European Starlings have an amazing ability to mimic many sounds in their environments. We have heard wild starlings in our trees imitate car horns and children squealing. Many pet starlings can mimic the ringing of a phone or doorbell, an answering machine, a microwave's beep, a door closing, a dog barking, a person's sneezes, etc. When mimicking human speech sounds, a starling's voice sounds different from that of a parrot and more closely resembles that of a mynah bird. Read about our starlings' mimicking skills below, and then listen to their sound files. Or, skip directly to our starling sound files below by clicking here.

Our Starlings' Vocalizations
Stormy, Sunshine, and Shadow have large vocabularies which continue to grow. We never "taught" them to imitate human speech. Rather, we have always talked softly to them throughout each day (even when they were tiny nestlings), and in turn, they chose sounds and words that they prefer to mimic. They began making cricket-like sounds (little trills) while still nestlings, and before a month old they were whistling, making jabbering noises, peeps, growls, and warbles. Soon they began imitating household sounds, and between the ages of three and four months old each bird began clearly and distinctly "talking", ie. perfectly imitating human speech sounds.

In addition to learning from us, each of our younger starlings picked up words from our older starling(s). Our female and male starlings vocalize equally well. Whenever we speak to one of them, he or she often responds by speaking to us in my voice, sometimes using silly, mixed-up phrases. Each bird also whistles specific tunes and imitates various household sounds. Sunshine, in particular, has learned to mimic a number of wild birds.

Stormy, Sunshine and Shadow delight family members and visitors alike with their constant chatter, and the only time they are quiet is when they are eating, napping, or preening. We are often asked why they "talk" and whistle so much. We believe it is partly because we interact with them and talk to them daily and keep them in the busiest room of our home where they see and hear us all the time. They enjoy being the center of attention and vocalizing to us as much as possible.

Listen to Two of Our Starlings.
Click below to hear Stormy's or Sunshine's sound files, or scroll down and hear both starlings talking and whistling at the same time.

(NOTE: These old sound files were recorded in 2000 and 2001 and no longer adequately showcase the ever-growing vocabulary of our starlings who are now 10, 8, and 6 years old. If we ever decide to put our starling website back online, at that time we will provide updated sound files as well as videos of all three starlings vocalizing.)

When listening to the files, please be aware that you may have to turn up your sound volume.

Click phrases below to hear Stormy talk.

"Hello. Stormy. Special, pretty bird. That's momma's baby!"

"Hi, Sugar-bird."

"Good morning, good morning."

"Good morning. Good Stormy."

"Hello, Storm. Stormy's a pretty bird."

"Hi, Sugar-bird! Stormy!"

"Hey, momma's baby. Where's my kiss?"

Stormy talking, jabbering, wolf-whistling, and whistling part of Dixie.

Click phrases below to hear Sunshine talk.

"Hello, sweet baby. Sunshine's a good bird."

Sunny makes a ringing sound like our cordless phone then says, "Helloooo! Hello, Sweetheart!" (Hear Stormy echoing "hello" in the background.)

Hello, Sweetheart. Sunshine's a baby. Where's my kiss?

"Hello, Darling. Sunshine! Hello, sweet baby. Kiss my kiss."

Listen to both starlings at the same time.

Hear both starlings. Sunshine is the louder bird, and Stormy talks and whistles Dixie in the background. (Large file)