European starling vision: the science and the numbers

Sturnus vulgaris · order Passeriformes · Birds: all the numbers

Starlings have four colour channels, including ultraviolet (362, 449, 504 and 563 nm).^[1][2] Their sharpest vision resolves 6.29 cycles per degree, against 63.75 for people in this dataset.^[6] Their eyes cover about 296° with 24° seen by both eyes.^[9] Starlings stop seeing flicker at 100 Hz, against 60 Hz for people.^[31][32]

See it on your photo Back to How do starlings see?

4colour receptor classesMeasured
6.29cycles per degree (sharpness)Measured
296°field of viewEstimated
100hertz flicker fusion (motion)Measured

The European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is a bird in the order Passeriformes. Its eyes belong to the vision type UV songbird, parrot and hummingbird: four cone types including a true ultraviolet cone, coloured oil droplets and fast motion vision. Measured in this species: colour, sharpness, field of view, foveas, night vision and motion (flicker fusion). Measured core: measured values on at least 3 of the 6 dials.

This is a simulation built from published eye measurements, not what the animal experiences.

Method: How we know what animals see (the See Like Animals vision engine) · Sources · Last updated 2026-10-02. Every value below carries its evidence level and sources; nothing is typed by hand.

What starlings see: colour receptors

European starling: 362, 449, 504, 563 nmPeople: 421.5, 532, 558.4 nmWavelength in nanometres

What stands out

It has 4 colour receptor classes, including ultraviolet; people have 3.
Its sharpest vision resolves 6.29 cycles per degree: the finest stripe pattern it can tell apart from grey.
Its eyes cover about 296° around the head, with 24° seen by both eyes at once.
It stops seeing flicker at 100 Hz, against 60 Hz for people in this dataset, so fast motion looks about 1.7 times slower to it.^[31][32]
Activity pattern: diurnal.

The six dials

Evidence levels: how the tiers work. "Measured" means a value measured in this species; "Estimated" values come from a close relative or an eye-size formula. The last column gives the values for people from the same catalogue.

Vision values for the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), catalogue-v1
Dial	Value	Evidence	Sources	People
Colour	Colour receptors 4 receptor classes: 362 nm (UVS), 449 nm (SWS (blue)), 504 nm (MWS (green)), 563 nm (LWS (long)) measured in this species	Measured	^[1][2]	Colour receptors: 3 receptor classes: 421.5 nm (VS/SWS (violet)), 532 nm (MWS (green)), 558.4 nm (LWS (long)) Measured (not re-verified)^[2][3][4][5]
Colour	Ultraviolet yes: at least one receptor peaks in the ultraviolet	Measured
Sharpness	Acuity 6.29 cycles per degree median of 1 anatomical-ganglion rows (method priority rule)	Measured	^[6]	Acuity: 63.75 cycles per degree Measured^[7][8]
Field of view	Binocular overlap 24° median of 2 rows (eyes-at-rest rows preferred)	Measured	^[9][10]	Binocular overlap: 122.5° Measured^[11][12] Total field of view: 200° Measured (not re-verified)^[13] Blind area behind the head: 160° Derived^[13] Eye placement: frontal Derived^[11][12]
	Total field of view 296° rule: total = 360 - blind area	Derived	^[9]
	Blind area behind the head 64°	Measured	^[9]
	Eye placement lateral frontal if binocular overlap >= 60 deg, else lateral	Derived	^[9][10]
	Binocular field, vertical extent 135° (approximate); approximately horizontal plane; eyes in relaxed (resting) position; head in typical posture for the species; alert live birds	Measured	^[14]
	Field of one eye 161° (approximate); approximately horizontal plane; eyes in relaxed (resting) position; head in typical posture for the species; alert live birds	Measured	^[14]
	Total field (published value) 286° (approximate); approximately horizontal plane; eyes in relaxed (resting) position; head in typical posture for the species; alert live birds	Measured	^[14]
	Binocular field, widest at any elevation 43°; maximum binocular overlap (widest frontal binocular sector at any elevation); maximum binocular overlap (compiled)	Measured	^[15]
Sharp zones (foveas)	Number of foveas 1 retinal topography	Measured (not re-verified)	^[16]	Number of foveas: 1 Measured^[17] Fovea type: fovea Measured^[17]
Sharp zones (foveas)	Fovea type single central fovea (displaced dorso-temporally from retinal centre)	Measured (not re-verified)	^[16]
Night vision	Activity pattern diurnal mode of 6 rows (of 6 rows): diurnal; not_nocturnal; photopic	Measured (not re-verified)	^{[18][19][20][2][21][22]}	Activity pattern: diurnal Measured (not re-verified)^{[18][23][24][2][25][26][21][22]} Pupil shape: vertical Group default^[27][28] Reflective layer (tapetum): no Measured^[29] Rods vs cones: cone-dominated Derived^{[18][23][24][2][25][26][21][22]} Night sensitivity (optical, against people): S = 0.93 µm² sr, 1 times people (log10 ratio 0) Derived^[30]
Night vision	Rods vs cones cone-dominated nocturnal -> rod-dominated; crepuscular / cathemeral / mixed -> mixed; diurnal -> cone-dominated	Derived	^{[18][19][20][2][21][22]}
Motion (flicker fusion)	Flicker fusion frequency 100 Hz median of 2 bright-light rows (behavioural/whole-eye ERG rows; all rows: [100.0])	Measured	^[31][32]	Flicker fusion frequency: 60 Hz Measured^[31][32]

Other senses

magnetoreception: NOT RENDERED (no agreed visual percept) (Group default)

All birds side by side: Birds: every measurement. Method: how we know what animals see.

Sources

Every value cites its sources (all sources). Values were extracted from these works and converted (units, medians, derived values); changes are ours, and the listed sources do not endorse this site. Data: catalogue-v1, built 2026-09-29. Accuracy notes: how accurate is this? Method: how we know.