Ten years of the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) in Brazil: range expansion and reproductive insights

We conducted a survey of the records of Sturnus vulgaris (the European starling) in Brazil over the 10 years following its first documented occurrence in the country. The records were gathered from citizen science platforms, field data, and reports from researchers and birdwatchers. A total of 2,618 individuals were recorded across 219 occurrences, 214 of which took place in Rio Grande do Sul, with five others distributed among the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais. In just one decade, the species has already occupied a considerable portion of the Brazilian Pampa, especially in the southernmost regions near the border with Uruguay, with 97.7% of the records concentrated in Rio Grande do Sul. We identified 55 nesting sites, most of which were located in cavities previously excavated by woodpeckers (Picidae), primarily in trees of the genus Eucalyptus . Breeding begins in September, peaks between October and November, and extends until the end of December. The data from this study indicate a high degree of behavioral plasticity in the species, facilitating its rapid adaptation and expansion within the Pampa biome.