Starling Omens and Spiritual Meaning

The starling is a very, very common bird. But, that doesn’t take away from its spiritual, symbolic and prophetic meaning. In fact, starlings convey a wealth of spiritual meaning and have a rich folkloric history from western Europe and across Asia.

What sort of things do starlings represent? They stand for lots of different things, one of the most important facets of starling spiritual meaning is transformation. Additionally, starlings represent the importance of society, collective action, and groups of all kinds. Also, they represent the communication required to galvanize groups. Starlings also draw a lot of their meaning from color. But, that isn’t all!

Read on to learn more about the multifaceted spiritual and symbolic meaning of the humble starling.

What Are Starlings Anyway?

Starlings, at first, might not seem like remarkable birds. After all, they’re quite like lots of other birds. The order they belong to, the Passeriformes, includes over half all the bird species on earth! So, yeah, they’ve got a lot of cousins. But, don’t let that fool you. Because starlings really are fascinating little birds.

The common starling is about eight inches from beak to tail. Their coloration changes throughout the year, but generally from a distance they look dark and drab, but up close you can see a colorful shimmer to their feathers. Depending on the time of year, its beak changes color! They’re also known to form flocks of differing size depending on the time of year—sometimes they form large flocks, and other times they form mega humongous giga flocks! Additionally, they like to chatter. They’re constantly making noises, and they’re excellent at mimicking sounds they hear around them.

Oh, and one last thing, starlings like to eat creepy-crawlies. Especially worms. Yum.

Are Starlings Good Omens or Bad Omens?

Here’s some good news: starlings are great omens. Generally speaking that is. The humble starling represents so many positive things. They stand for everything from material abundance, to freedom, intellect, creativity, cooperation, a spiritual connection to the divine, the perfect balance of feminine and masculine, and adaptability.

So, if you receive a message from your guides via a starling or a flock of starlings, then it is almost certainly a good omen. However, pinning that omen down to one of the many things that starlings represent could be a real challenge. To understand what message was meant for you, it’s worth digesting all of their possible meanings and reflecting on which elements resonate with you directly. Consider your intuition, but also your personal perspective and context.

Starlings Are All About Color, Color, Color

The starling represents a multilayered spirit of trickery. That manifests in the way it hunts, but it is also evident in the bird’s coloration. Because, from a distance, the starling tricks you into thinking it isn’t a very colorful bird at all. But, once you close in on a starling or group of starlings, you’ll begin to notice that they have a brilliant green and purple shimmer to their feathers.

The advice from our angels isn’t always clear when it comes to animal symbolism. But, with the starling—in terms of its appearance, at least—is quite clear. You’re being reminded to refrain from judging people too quickly. Moreover, avoid evaluating people on how visually appealing you might find them initially. Take the time to get to know people and learn about the substance of their character before you accept into or reject them from your group.

And remember, we’re talking about starlings here, so the spiritual and symbolic significance of unity and groupings can’t be understated.

Also, the colors purple and green have their own particular significance that must be considered.

Starlings and the Spiritual Meaning of the Color Purple

Purple has long been used as a color to represent arcane, spiritual, and religious wisdom. As such, its presence in the feathers of starlings amplifies the meaning of their message to you—i.e. it implies that the message has come from the other side. However, it’s important to remember that, when looking for signs around ourselves, our intuition is always important. Not every sighting of animal or other object has personal spiritual significance—reflect on your feelings, meditate, and you will know.

Have you ever had your eye caught by a purple front door? Well, pay attention and be careful. That is because witches are known to paint their doors purple to communicate their magical ability in a less than direct way.

Also worth noting, the color purple represents the crown chakra. This dovetails with the broader meaning of the color purple regarding arcane knowledge and magical abilities. The crown chakra is what connects us to the infinite universe and everything it offers. When it comes to the starling, and all birds for that matter, the crown chakra is an appropriate link to observe, this is because birds are, of course, flighted. As such, they link the earth to the celestial body, i.e. symbolically and virtually, the universe.

To learn more about the crown chakra, click here.

Starlings and the Spiritual Meaning of the Color Green

Green, like purple, is a color with lots of symbolic meaning. It’s a color used the world over to represent cleanliness and protection for the environment. That’s because we associate green with the environment, i.e. with Mother Nature. So, the green of the starling represents that connection to the natural world. If you’re feeling ungrounded, perhaps the starling is here to let you know you should spend some more time enjoying the outdoors?

Also, the color green is associated with the heart chakra. Which is an important and unique chakra. This is because it links the lower three chakras with the higher three chakras. As such, it represents a link between the material, physical world, and the infinite spiritual and universal realm beyond. Which, of course, marries well to a bird’s symbolism of connecting the heavens and the earth.

There’s a lot more to the heart chakra, so click here and check out our guide.

Starling Changing Colors and the Seasons

The spiritual and symbolic importance of color with starlings is also emphasized by the fact that they change plumage between the summer and the winter. During the warmer months of the year, they display the iridescent purples and greens mentioned above. Whereas, when the cold weather approaches, they switch their bright feathers for dull brown ones. But, don’t worry, they’re still fabulous during the winter because they accent the brown with wonderful and attractive white spots.

What spiritual message can we take from the seasonality of a starling’s livery? Well, you probably guessed it, it’s about seasonality itself. Starling’s are powerful omens of marching time and the changing of the seasons. They remind us that cycles continue endlessly. Especially the natural world’s cycles. The advice from this reminder will be something that occurs to you naturally. It could be that you’re in the middle of the changing seasons of your life and, for whatever reason, your guides want you to reflect on that.

Beginning With Brown

Juvenile starlings are actually brown. So, here we are, with more significance of color. The color brown is associated with the earth. But, when a starling matures, its summer plumage is green and purple. The symbolic significance of the transition from brown to purple cannot be ignored. It represents beginning at the ground and eventually transitioning to the infinite expanse of the universe.

When you consider the baby starling, consider how it relates to yourself. No matter what age we might be, in some topics we remain children. The growth of the starling reminds us to master important skills in our life. We begin without knowledge, we seek knowledge, and eventually we become adept in a particular skill. In practical terms, this could be applied to a new job opportunity—do your best, get better constantly, and you will do well.

Yellow Beak

So, we talked about how the starling’s feathers change color between summer and winter. Well, that isn’t the only thing that changes color with the seasons—the starling’s beak also changes color. Specifically, it switches between yellow and black in summer and winter respectively.

What does this symbolize? Abundance, of course! As the cold, quiet, and lifeless winter months retreat and the warm, natural abundance of summer approaches, the starling’s beak turns into gold! As such, it endures as an omen of incoming abundance. This is especially true of financial wealth. Look for this summer to be a time when you advance your financial standing significantly.

The Starling Lays Blue Eggs?!

Depending on how much of a bird enthusiast you are, you might already know this. But lots of birds lay blue eggs. Here’s a list (not exhaustive):

• Starling
• House finch
• Bluebird
• Song thrush
• Hedge sparrow
• American Robin
• Herron

So, what is spiritual meaning of blue starling eggs? Blue is an interesting color for a lot of reasons.

First of all, it’s interesting to note it is by far and away the most popular color—more people choose blue as their favorite color than any other. Blue is the color of the sky, and therefore we associate it with the celestial and the heavens. Light blue, which starling eggs are, is especially linked with the heavenly realm, bodies, and actors. Also, sky blue is an important message of freedom—apropos for a bird, they’re all about ultimate freedom.

Blue other means, too. For example, blue is strongly connected to emotions. This is amplified by the color’s link to the oceans, which is relevant because we think of our emotions as deep and swelling like the rolling waters of the seas. We might think of our emotions as volatile, and at times they sure are. But, blue also represents trustworthiness—true blue!—and reliability, stability, etc. Blue is the color of loyalty.

Blue is also a good color to represent the freedom of your imagination as well as your literal freedom. Following on from that, blue expands to cover your intellect, creativity, and wisdom.

How About Blue Eggs Though!?

So, with the foundation we’ve laid (pun intended) above, we should now have a solid understanding of the color blue’s spiritual and symbolic meaning. Let’s combine that with eggs to understand the message being communicated. Eggs are symbols of, clearly, life. Moreover, they represent the life cycle and the purity of a life’s beginning. Therefore, blue eggs represent the purity that the heavens and new life have in common. Life, fertility, and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth are gifts from the universe to be appreciated and welcomed.

Speaking of the universe, for thousands of years, people have seen the universe as the inside of an egg. So, the blue starling egg, again, represents the universe, the heavens, and all creation.

Should you encounter a starling’s blue egg, you might be wondering how you can apply this symbolism to your everyday life. It is, certainly, a message to focus on the gifts you have been given: freedom of thought, creativity, stability, loyalty, intellect, etc. But, don’t just reflect on those gifts in isolation. Rather, think of them in the context of the broader universe. Ours is a universe full of wonder, but more immediately our world is full of people. Consider altruism and how you can apply your gifts to cultivate improvement in your communities.

Starlings Are Critical Symbols of Transformation

Naturally, all birds are symbols of transformation. This is because they hatch from eggs and transform into chicks. From there, they begin flightless and eventually transform into masters of the air. However, birds like the starling are stronger symbols of transformation than other birds. This is because their drastic changes in plumage throughout the year represent transformation.

Not just any old transformation though. We often think of butterflies when we think of an omen of transformation from the natural world. This is because they represent the ultimate metamorphosis—they begin as grubby, fat, little caterpillars and turn into beautiful, dainty, fluttering butterflies. However, the starling does not stand for a single and monumental transformation. Instead, the starling represents a relentless and adaptable sort of transformation—it changes with the season. The starling tells you that as the days, weeks, months, seasons, and years roll by, you will always be able to adapt and thrive no matter what tests the universe sends your way.

Symbol of a Fighter

If you’ve ever put food out in your bark yard to feed the starlings, then you’ll know that they like the squabble. In fact, they are powerful symbols for fighting for what you need in life. Sure, they exist in huge groups and, therefore, are naturally flagbearers for the importance of civic duty and collective struggle. However, within that framework of a wider society, they tell you that sometimes you might have to stand your ground to make sure you get your fair share.

This is a difficult thing to navigate for us sometimes. Nobody likes to make a scene, make a fuss, or come across and selfish. But, don’t let a lack of self-esteem prevent you from taking care of yourself and the people who matter to you. Speak up and ask for what you want. By all means, begin with good manners and politeness. But, should malign forces stand in your way, be ready for conflict.

Loud Mouth Starlings!

Starlings are loud. Really loud. It seems like they never, ever stop chattering, tweeting, and chirping. This is a reminder from our angels to use our gift of language to communicate.

More than that, though, like the starling, we should use our speech to come together with our community to achieve goals greater than those we are able to achieve alone. It’s important to remember that the “self-made man” is an absolute fallacy. Nobody succeeds in vacuum. From the very beginning, we’re indebted to our mother, and all the mothers, fathers, family members, and other beings (human and otherwise) whose toil went into bringing you into the world.

Be ever wary of telling yourself you are largely responsible for your own success. If you ever want to know how much you owe to society, do a quick Google search on your favorite vegetables. Check out their natural origins, and you’ll realize how much work ancient farmers put into developing nutritious and high yield food for us to thrive upon in later years. For example, the wild carrot was nothing but a fibrous, knotty, unpleasant root—now it’s a bounty of calories and vitamins.

So, that’s what the starling is reminding us of when it flocks in numbers and chatters with its fellow flock members: what can we achieve together and for each other? It’s all about problem solving via communication.

Starling Mimicry

Following on from the above section on communication, we come to the starling and its uncanny ability to mimic sounds it hears in its environment.

This is an important facet of communication and it’s something the starling conveys that we can learn. Sometimes the best way to communicate with others is to consider, as much as you can, their perspective and what leads them to make the sounds they make. By that we mean, what leads them to say the words they say.

It’s easy for us to take offense at another’s speech: they have, when they say my favorite band sucks, attacked my ego and my self worth. But, consider their perspective. Maybe they associate a song of that band with a bad time in their life—maybe that band was their ex’s favorite band, or a high school bully had a sticker for that band on their locker. You never know.

So, the starling, in learning to mimic sounds around it, conveys a message of appreciation for the voices of others and, most of all, the complexity and vulnerability behind those voices.

Trust and believe, you will find people receive you and your thoughts much more readily when you approach them with their voice (as well as your own) in mind. Learn from the starling!

The Starling and Strength in Numbers

The starling is a symbol of unity. It conveys a spiritual message of the power we possess when we come together with shared values, goals, and—an abundance of compassion for others. As such, the starling is a popular emblem for unions, nations, societies, organizations, companies, and teams of all sizes.

So, if you’re working on a logo for your new company or other sort of organization, you could do worse than employing a starling motif! Sure, birds like eagles and owls might seem cooler. But come on, look and this article deny how super the starling is!

It’s not just about well-defined groups and bureaucratic trappings. On the contrary, you don’t need a birth certificate or a passport to join a starling flock. You just join in because it makes sense! It makes sense to work together, no matter what your background is.

The starling is a message from our angels to include not exclude. The natural world provides boundless abundance for all, remember that. Beware of the supposed “self-made man”. After all, no being—human or otherwise—exists (let alone prospers) without the suffering, sacrifice, and success of their forbearers! Think of the mothers of the world, and the fathers, the aunts and uncles, the grandpas and grandmas. And they go back millions of years to the very dawn of creation.

Yes, those who came before us achieved so much for us—theirs are the giant shoulders upon which we stand to reach out for the very stars in the sky. But, it would be a betrayal to only think of family. After all, our greatest achievements were achieved together. If you need help, the starling reminds you to ask for it. And, in equal measure, the starling reminds you to listen when the other members of your flock need help too. Help and be helped. Work together.

The Starling Represents Masculine and Feminine Energy

The way in which the starling creates its nest is, plainly, a power representation of the divine feminine and the divine masculine.

This is because the male starling begins building the nest alone. Firstly, he brings sticks, twigs, and other rigid and durable materials to provide a strong and enduring foundation. After this, the female joins him and begins to add warmth on top of the male’s cold structure. She will complement the male’s austere nest with soft, comfortable, loving materials—she adds feathers, grasses, and moss to keep her chicks warm and comfortable.

Together, the male and female starling are complete.

Starling Flocks and Abundance

Starlings are an omen of incoming abundance. This is because they rarely appear or move in anything other than large numbers. Their very existence and ability to thrive is evidence of Mother Nature’s endless bounty.

Starlings represent all forms of abundance. Their golden yellow summer beaks are a symbol of incoming financial wealth. While their great numbers and ability to reproduce readily represent a powerful omen for fertility and the growth of the family through new additions. Financial wealth, and a growing family, mean that the starling also conveys an underlying future of an excess of food.

Starling Trickster Spirit

Speaking of starlings and food, the way in which they hunt worms is very, very tricky indeed. A flock of starlings will actively land on your lawn and begin jumping around on the grass rhythmically. That pitter patter of their little bird feet on the grass emulates the vibrations created by droplets of rain water hitting the ground. Consequently, moisture loving earthworms begin to make their way to the surface after having been tricked by the starlings. Once they reach the surface, the starling has a tasty, wriggly meal.

So, the starling is connected to the world’s trickster spirits. Think of spirits like Anansi, Br’er Rabbit, leprechauns, Dionysus, among many, many others.

Take this advice of the starling spirit and consider how to use your own wit and intellect to advance your goals.

Tea Leaves in the Sky

The Romans famously believed that the flight shapes created by huge flocks of starlings were messages from the gods. They believed that, by reading the shapes of starlings in the sky, they would be able to know if the gods favored them that day. As such, they were able to receive messages from their gods about whether it was a good idea or not, for example, to engage in a battle on that particular day.

Unfortunately, reading the starlings in the sky is a lost skill. So, sadly, you won’t be able to consult the starlings before you decide to send your armies into battle anymore!

Dead Starling Spiritual Meaning

If you are familiar with tarot, then you might be familiar with the concept of a reversed card. When a card comes out of the deck in an upside down position, it sort of, “inverts” the original meaning of the card. It’s difficult to pin a direct opposite onto a tarot card as their meanings, both individually and in conjuction with other cards, can be quite complex.

There are parallels when we consider the spiritual meaning, omens, and symbolism of a dead being versus a living being. Rather than simple inversion, though, a dead animal signifies the end of a cycle pertaining to its meanings. With starlings this is quite complex because they are, traditionally, so full of meaning. Remember, starlings represent wealth, freedom, nimble minds, strength in numbers, connection to the divine, balance of feminine/masculine, and adaptability.

So, therefore, the sighting of a dead starling could mean the end of one of the many things the starling represented in life. Let’s take a few examples. The starling is a powerful symbol of adaptability—this could mean you will enter a phase in your life where adapting to changes could be more difficult than previously. Also, another important part of the starling’s spiritual meaning, strength in numbers, should be considered. Think about this, in life, a starling represents the power of unity. So, in death it could be that you are newly excluded from a group of some sort.

Having said all of this, it’s important to remember that death isn’t inherently a bad omen. Rather it conveys the end of a cycle. You receive an omen that you will be excluded from a group and it has resonated with you. Maybe that means you’ll lose your job. But! That doesn’t mean you won’t find a better job afterwards and, therefore, be included in a group that much better suits you!

Try to stay positive.

Starling Dream Meaning

Dream meanings are very personal. This is because you bring yourself to your dreams. After all, they are your dreams. Therefore, it is difficult to make any sort of broad psychological assertions about an individual’s dreams. After all, that’s why psychologists get paid the big bucks.

On the other hand though, putting psychology aside, we can draw broader conclusions about the spiritual meaning of dreams. Typically, dream meanings mirror waking meanings. That means that when you see a starling in your dreams, it isn’t that different from seeing one in real life. So, to dream of a starling conveys lots of messages:

• Financial and material abundance
• The freedom all birds represent via flight
• Creative, intelligent, tricky, nimble minds
• Strength in numbers, unions, groups, collective goals
• A connection to the divine
• The perfect balance of feminine/masculine energy
• Swift and reliable adaptability

Sure, these are the general meanings of the sighting of a starling whether awake or asleep. However, the dream element adds a little extra spice. It is believed that we receive messages from external sources in some of our dreams. It could well be that the above messages are more pointedly meant for you to reflect upon. Also, dreams are part of the nighttime experience—a period when the moon and all it represents influences us. Therefore, your starling visitation could be very much relating to deep, secretive, and powerful emotions. Very personal emotions that require a degree of reflection.

Further Reading

• Possum Omens and Spiritual Meaning
• Cardinals Omens, Spiritual Meaning, Symbols
• Ants Omens and Spiritual Meaning
• Dead Bird – Spiritual Meaning and Omens