European Starlings in Ontario
When Europeans are present in Ontario, when they nest, which native Ontario plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canadian zones 0a–7a yard.
- Status in Ontario
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- May–June
- Broods
- 1–2 per season
- Hardiness zones
- Canadian zones 0a–7a (southern Ontario roughly equivalent to USDA 4–6)
When to expect Europeans in Ontario
European Starlings live in Ontario all year. Cold, snowy winters; feeder flocks are dominated by chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers and finches. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward fruit, grain and suet.
Humid continental in the south, boreal and subarctic in the north; most backyard birding happens in the southern Great Lakes lowlands.
Nesting in Ontario
Across Ontario, Europeans typically nest from May–June. Nest site: cavities of any kind. Females lay 4–6 eggs, incubate for 12 days, and young leave the nest after 21–23 days.
Short, warm summers; Point Pelee and Long Point are continent-famous migration sites.
- European Starlings don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as red-osier dogwood, sugar maple, flowering dogwood for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.
Native Ontario plants that attract Europeans
Of the regional native plants we track for Ontario, these 8 provide food or cover Europeans use:
Fruit and cover.
Insects, seeds and cavities.
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Feeding Europeans through the Ontario year
Non-native; starlings take over woodpecker and bluebird cavities. Upside-down suet feeders deter them.
- Best foods: Suet, Cracked corn.
- In Ontario's winter: Cold, snowy winters; feeder flocks are dominated by chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers and finches.
Full diet breakdown for Europeans · Best feeder for Europeans
Frequently asked
Are Europeans in Ontario year-round?
Yes. European Starlings are year-round residents in Ontario.
When do Europeans nest in Ontario?
Nesting in Ontario typically runs May–June, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 4–6 eggs, incubated for 12 days.
What native plants attract Europeans in Ontario?
Red-osier dogwood, Sugar maple, Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac are native plants in Ontario that provide food or cover for Europeans.
European Starlings in other regions
Other backyard birds in Ontario
Sources
- European Starling — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- European Starling life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- European Starling — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Ontario
- Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas — Birds Canada
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.