So you’ve adopted and/or rescued a European Starling. Well done! Your life is on a path of promising events and opportunities. In order to keep your bird happy (and alive), you’ll need to feed them a proper diet.
This page discusses how to prepare a healthy diet to feed to a pet adult European Starling. If your pet starling bird is younger than 6-10 weeks old or is not yet eating on their own, you’ll want to use the Baby/Fledgling Diet instead.
If you do the mix of cat food, layer mash, dried egg powder, and applesauce as described below, you will be giving your little one the following approximate nutrition per day (assuming 1/4 cup eaten per week):
| Vitamin A | 10 IU |
| Vitamin C | 1.7 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0.01 mcg |
| Vitamin D3 | 2.8 ICU |
| Vitamin E | 2.3 IU |
| Calcium | 1.4 mg |
| Iron | 0.01 mg |
| Potassium | 43 mg |
| L-Carnitine | 0.7 mg |
| Bacillus subtitles, Bacillus licheniformis | 300,000 CFU |
| Phytase (A. Oryzae) | 0.8 FYT |
2 Cups High-Protein Cat Food
Measure 2 cups of dry cat food with the right protein/fat ratio. Blue Buffalo Healthy Aging (Mature Cats 7+) meets the bill quite nicely. Grind it up into a fine powder using a grinder. Store-bought bird food is not adequate as it will not have enough protein and will frequently list corn (not chicken) as the first ingredient. Blue Buffalo Healthy Aging is a good choice all the way around as it has 32% crude protein and 15% crude fat. Here’s what’s in Blue Buffalo Healthy Aging:
| Crude Protein | 32.0% min |
| Crude Fat | 15.0% min |
| Crude Fiber | 5.0% max |
| Moisture | 9.0% max |
| Magnesium | 0.14% max |
| DHA | 0.15% min |
| Taurine | 0.15% min |
| Omega 3 Fatty Acids | 0.5% min |
| Omega 6 Fatty Acids | 2.75% min |
| Vitamin E | 300 IU/kg min (approx 150 IU per 2cups) |
| Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) | 100mg/kg min (approx 50mg per 2 cups) |
| L-Carnitine | 100mg/kg min (approx 50mg per 2 cups) |
Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Pea Protein, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Menhaden Fish Meal (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Natural Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Flaxseed (source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Fish Oil (source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Pea Fiber, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Potatoes, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Chicory Root, Taurine, Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Calcium Sulfate, Cranberries, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), L-Carnitine, Vegetable Juice for color, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Sulfate, Blueberries, Barley Grass, Parsley, Turmeric, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Copper Amino Acid Chelate, L-Lysine, Biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract, Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Oil of Rosemary.
Compare that to Harrison’s High Potency Super Fine bird food (which many vets will prescribe for high protein needs) which lists Millet, Barley, and Corn as the first ingredients as well as a lower crude protein of 20% and crude fat of 12%. Regardless of what you use, the first ingredient should always be chicken and it should have at least 33.1% crude protein and 12.1% crude fat for adult birds.
1/2 Cup Poultry Layer-Mash/Crumble
Next, measure 1/2 cup of poultry layer-mash/crumble. You want to make sure it is for egg-laying hens and not medicated. A good one to use is Purina Layena Crumbles. “Layer mash” is a standardized vitamin/mineral formula for birds with high-calcium (i.e., egg-production) needs. Grind this up into a fine powder as well. Add these together to a storage container; this will be your primary food to feed to your little darling. Simply add to a small bowl. Make sure the mash/crumble is designed for egg-laying hens and is not medicated. After about three months of shelf life, you’ll want to replace this as the vitamins may not be as potent. Here’s what’s in Layena Crumbles:
| Crude Protein | 16.00% min |
| Lysine | 0.70% min |
| Methionine | 0.30% min |
| Crude Fat | 2.50% min |
| Crude Fiber | 6.50% max |
| Calcium (Ca) | 3.25% – 4.25% |
| Phosphorus (P) | 0.45% min |
| Salt (NaCl) | 0.30% – 0.80% |
| Manganese (Mn) | 100.00 ppm max |
| Vitamin A | 3000 IU/LB min (approx 750 IU per 1/2 cup) |
| Vitamin D3 | 800 ICU/LB min (approx 200 ICU per 1/2 cup) |
| Vitamin E | 12 IU/LB min (approx 3 IU per 1/2 cup) |
| Total Microorganisms Bacillus subtitles, Bacillus licheniformis | 84,000,000 CFU/LB min (approx 21,000,000 CFU per 1/2 cup) |
| Phytase (A. Oryzae) | 227 FYT/LB min (approx 56 FYT per 1/2 cup) |
Ingredients: Processed Grain By-Products, Grain Products, Plant Protein Products, Calcium Carbonate, Molasses Products, Lignin Sulfonate, Oyster Shell, Salt, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, DL-Methionine, Yeast Extract, Manganous Oxide, Choline Chloride, Tagetes (Aztec Marigold) Extract (Color), Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Natural Flavor, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K), Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Dried Chicory Root, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Organic Soybean Oil, Dried Bacillus subtitles Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Sodium Selenite.
If you’d rather not use poultry layer-mash crumble or are unable to find any at a local feed store, you can optionally grind up a single 750mg Tums Smooth Dissolve Tablet for the calcium and add some high-quality avian vitamins (we use Hari Prime).
Crush & Mix Together
You’ll want to mix the Blue Buffalo Healthy Aging cat food and poultry layer/mash together and mash it up. Your best bet is to use a mortar and pestle, which will give you the most control over how crumbled the mix gets. In the past we’ve tried coarse coffee grinders, but even that is still too find of a powder and poses a risk of aspiration.
An alternative is to simply grind it all up together using a simple electric coffee grinder, add boiling water and let it cool before serving. You can even prepare a large batch, freeze it in blocks or squares and de-thaw prior to serving. If you want, you can use filtered water to reduce contaminants and the more alarming plastic fibers found in tap water, although this may be overkill. Our birds seem to enjoy eating the dry crushed mix without any issue.
Additional Daily Calcium
Your bird will also need additional calcium. For the egg, simply hard boil it and rinse under cold water to easily remove the shell. Cut it up and add 1 tablespoon of the egg to a separate dish. Eggs should be boiled for at least 10 minutes to remove any bacteria that may be in the yolk, although we have nothing to back that up with other than anecdotal evidence.
Alternatively, you can use whole egg powder (not egg substitute) if your bird won’t eat the eggs or if you want to minimize your preparation time. We use Judee’s Gluten Free Whole Dried Eggs. Simply add 2 tablespoons to the 2 cups cat food/half cup poultry mash mix (assuming 2 tablespoons equals one whole egg).
| Fat | 5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.5 g |
| Cholesterol | 205 mg |
| Sodium | 70 mg |
| Protein | 6g |
| Vitamin D | 1.1 mcg |
| Calcium | 30 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg |
| Potassium | 70 mg |
Ingredients: 100% Whole Egg Dried Powder (2 tbsp = 1 egg, which is the serving size for the chart above)
You can alternate depending on whether or not you’ve boiled any eggs recently to serve.
Daily Fruit
In the same (or another) dish as the egg, add 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce. You’ll want to feed this daily (and remove after being out for a bit to prevent spoilage). We heat some up for about eight seconds in a small bowl in the microwave each day, making sure that it isn’t too hot. This should give your little darling some fruit and about 42mg potassium, 1mg vitamin C, and 1 mg calcium.
Probiotic Supplements
Probiotics have mixed reviews. Many people swear by them, however research also shows that it can tend to make things worse. We’re undecided on this issue and, since we haven’t noticed a difference in our bird’s poop, we tend to hold off using it unless a coarse of antibiotics has been used. We use Avi-Culture 2 Plus.
Avoid Dangerous Foods
Occasionally you can add small amounts of different foods to broaden your bird’s palette. However, you should take care to avoid the common things that birds shouldn’t eat, such as salt, tomatoes, or chocolate. While many people like to feed their birds mealworms, keep in mind that this is the equivalent of feeding potato chips to a human; not very nutritious and full of unhealthy fat.
Thank you for this information. I rescued a baby (1 day old) Starling 9 years ago… His name is Gordy. He is our sweet little boy! he talks a lot and we just love him.However, he is looking a little featherless in his chest. When I rescued him, I fed him according to Starling Talk and have done this for 9 years… but something was always missing.
I will let you know what happens!
It’s always difficult to find reliable information out there for starlings; they’re not the “mainstream” pet of choice, that’s true. Anyone that can raise one that has reached nine years old is doing something well, though! Congrads!
I raised this baby from eyes shut, no hair. Her name is Peter.. I basically feed her exactly what you prescribe..I also, in addition to the egg, mix a teaspoon of sweet potato or pumpkin with her mash..she is 11 years old. I clip her toenail and her beak. She loves her bath. Anything else I can be doing. She does talk..
Sounds like you’ve been doing an amazing job if she’s reached 11 years of age! There are so many options for diet, but the main issue is what works for your bird. So many times we’ve tried a diet or food recommendation from others that didn’t work well for one of our birds, so it’s important to keep with what works. Well done!
Thank you for this thread. We have a baby about 4 weeks old? He is loud and big and very curious. Knowing nothing before were just feeding him worms, catfood, insects etc. He seems happy with it. I am wanting to release him back into the wild but I am not sure that will happen the way my family treats him.
I have a baby starling that fell from God knows where. Meaning not a single tree or grass in the area. It was in the middle of the road. I’ve had it for about 5 days now..feeding it every 3 1/2 hours. It has all its feathers and nowt perching a little. Still wanting food every time it hears me around. Will I be able to set it free? Or is this now a pet? I don’t want to go through all this trouble only to have it not survive. I don’t mind keeping it. She or he is pretty smart. I can tell already. I’ve only had parrots to I’m at a loss on how to care for this.
Every 3 1/2 hours is too long for a baby bird, so your little one will need more frequent feedings. A baby without feathers will need to be fed every 20-30 minutes over a period of at least 12 hours a day. Babies starting to feather need to be fed approximately every 45, and a fully feathered baby can go an hour or two between feedings.
Chances are you won’t be able to set him/her free as they’ve imprinted on you, the human, as their mother; however, if it’s only been five days and they already have feathers (didn’t catch that bit at first as I was reading it), you might be ok for setting up a release.
Here’s a good link for baby starling care and feeing instructions until we get one up on our site here; hopefully this will be enough to get you started. Good luck! Reference Link: http://starlingtalk.com/babycare.htm
Hi David, mealworms are actually a nutritious source of protein for songbirds such as starling and their young can be raised on a diet made of approx. 50% mealworms. I have a wild starling and I helped her raise her three chicks from hatchling last season after her mate died during incubation (nest two houses up from mine) and she fed them a very large amount of mealworms I provided (about 5000), I’d say roughly 50% of the nestling’s diet. She brought me her three babies when they fledged and I can guarantee you that they were incredibly healthy and really big, strong babies. I am a bird rehabber and I can tell u mealworms are extensively used by bird rescues. I have even raised swallows on a primarily mealworm diet and all were very healthy.
I have a starling it’s about 2 years old. I’ve had it since it was a fledgling. I don’t know how to tell if it’s a male or female
It sings my phone ringtone and says…Ohh Kay!!! I love it so much!!! How can I find out if it’s male or female? Also I think its tired of eating mealworms.. It keeps taking them and dropping them out of it’s dish. So I’m going to try some of your food suggestions. Thanks Kathy
.
That’s lovely! When we had our first starling, we were amazed at hearing things said in our own voice right back to us. For sexing a starling, a general rule of thumb is if the base of the beak is blueish, it’s a boy; if pinkish, it’s a girl. However, using the eyes (iris) should be a more accurate way of telling. For treats, mealworms are great; however they’re like potato chips – tasty, but not overly nutritious. We try to add the diet using different types of cooked vegetables (non-salted) and other dried insects, with varying success depending on how picky the starling is. Good luck!
I have a year and a half old Male Starling. He’s my little buddy for sure. He’s losing a lot of feather around his neck and back area. I’ve taken him to the Avian vet twice now for treatments for mites or other bugs. I’m feeling like it’s his diet? I feed him mashed dog food with Tuna fish and chicken crumbles. Does he require a better diet as you suggest? I’m going to try your food recommendations now. Thank you, for any suggestions.
We’ve had this issue, with nothing useful coming from the avian vet for an explanation. The pattern suggests that the feathers are being pulled by himself (neck, back). In our case, it was the same thing. We ended up doing a course of antibiotics which (upon reflection) was probably unnecessary. It turned out to be a “light” molting, and the feathers came back. To encourage the molting, we made sure the cage was covered for the same number of hours that it’s dark outside (this was in the winter), and after a month started uncovering it more and more and more to simulate a seasonal shift, which helps encourage a molting. The month of more darkness than light was, apparently, necessary. We researched if it was a food issue, but never found any easy answer other than the simulated light/dark bit to encourage the molting process.
Thank you for providing so much information! I just wanted to clarify – is the cat food and hen food a separate mash than the applesauce and egg? Or is it all together? Thank you!
The cat food and hen food are mixed together as one, and I keep the applesauce and egg separate due to spoilage. In our case, we boil some eggs each week and in the morning, we take one egg and put it in a mug with water boiled from our kettle. In a small dish, we put some applesauce and set it atop of the mug with the egg. After about five minutes, the egg is ready (one of us eats half the egg and the other is given to the bird in its own dish) and the applesauce is heated up from the refrigerator. That’s a great question, so I’ll update the article next time I get a chance with some examples like this.