Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The starlings are generally a highly social family. Most species associate in flocks of varying sizes throughout the year.
Starlings have diverse and complex vocalizations and have been known to embed sounds from their surroundings into their own calls, including car alarms and human speech patterns. The birds can recognize particular individuals by their calls and are the subject of research into the evolution of human language.