Spotless starlings in Tarifa are ubiquitous and shape the character of the small coastal town. In dense flocks, they sweep over rooftops and across the sky, creating a unique atmosphere in Tarifa. During my visit in October, I was able to enjoy this spectacle as well as the diversity of other bird species along the coast.
Spotless starlings in Tarifa
My ears were ringing from the loud traffic noise as I pushed my way through the dense crowd. Suddenly, a chorus of chirping from a tree right in the middle of the city bustle made me stop in my tracks. What kind of strikingly loud birds were those?
That was my first encounter with spotless starlings—though not in Tarifa, but in Málaga, where my journey began. It was already evening, darkness had fallen, yet the starlings in the trees seemed unable to stop chirping. Wow. So many birds in a single tree. Unfortunately, it was already too dark to make them out clearly.
All the greater was my delight when I later rediscovered the spotless starlings in Tarifa. There, too, they drew attention especially in the morning and evening with their loud, lively chorus of chirping.
Particularly interesting, however, was that the spotless starlings in Tarifa were not alone in the tree near my accommodation. I was staying on Avenida Andalucía, where a large tree provided ample space for numerous spotless starlings.
But this tree was not inhabited by starlings alone. No—they shared it not only with members of their own species, but also with cattle egrets, which roosted there alongside them.
Before returning to my accommodation each evening, I would stop and watch the lively activity in the tree. I couldn’t make out any major conflicts between the birds.
Overall, they seemed to share the tree peacefully—even if I certainly didn’t notice everything. After all, it was already dark, and the birds were perched high up in the branches.
Shortly before sunset, numerous birds arrived at the tree, but as soon as darkness fell, calm set in.
I found this interaction incredibly fascinating: spotless starlings and cattle egrets shared the trees. Strictly speaking, however, one should refer to starlings in general, as alongside the spotless starlings, the starlings familiar to me also joined them. I will go into the differences between these two species in more detail below.
Information: If you’d like to learn more about the starlings I usually observe in Berlin, feel free to take a look at one of my earlier blog posts. There, I regularly share my observations, for example as part of the Winter Bird Count or the Spring Bird Count.
Nevertheless, one morning, as I was returning from the El Estrecho Natural Park, I noticed an especially large number of spotless starlings in Tarifa in the walls of the Torre de Aljaranda. Since I needed a break after my early morning hike in the natural park, I decided to leave. At the same time, I resolved to return to this spot the next morning to observe the spotless starlings there more closely and for a longer time.
And that is exactly what I did.
I set off at around eight o’clock, as the sun was due to rise in Tarifa at 8:37 a.m. that day. I wanted to be at the Torre de Aljaranda right at sunrise.
I spotted the first starlings even before sunrise. The light was still grey and subdued at that time, yet the spotless starlings in Tarifa were already busily searching for places to roost. Whether on the walls, on a balcony railing, or in a palm tree—they seemed to be everywhere.
I had the feeling of encountering them at every turn.
The spotless starlings in Tarifa filled my morning with their beautiful songs. Starlings are generally known for their loud and complex vocalizations—they can even mimic the calls of other animals and birds. In Berlin, I particularly notice them when they draw attention to themselves with their drawn-out, rising whistling notes.
They usually sing from an elevated perch—in Tarifa, it was often the walls that served as their stage. Or a balcony railing.
The day promised to become very warm again, but at first a cloud covered the sun, delaying the actual sunrise a little. The light still felt soft and muted, almost as if the city were still asleep. Nevertheless, the birds had already awakened and filled the silence with their lively chirping.
Finally, the warm sunlight streamed over the rooftops of Tarifa, naturally bathing the spotless starlings in golden light as well.
The concert of spotless starlings in Tarifa continued. I watched three of them, seemingly trying to get an overview of the scene. Sometimes they sang, sometimes they preened their feathers, and then they simply looked around. One of the starlings was particularly attentive and kept glancing in my direction. Was the bird watching me just as much as I was watching it? Did it bother it that I was looking—or did it simply not care at all?
I noticed a lot of movement among the spotless starlings in Tarifa. The town also seemed to be slowly waking up: craftsmen went about their work, the streets were being cleaned, and a family watched the sunrise from a hotel balcony.
As life stirred around me, my eyes remained fixed on the spotless starlings, who were filling the morning with their activity.
Besides the spotless starlings, I also spotted other bird species in Tarifa—more on that in the next section. Even early in the morning, the small town was already bustling, and this was in October.
I decided to take a walk along María de Molina Street. Only a few cars passed by, which gave me the leisure not only to observe more birds but also to enjoy a lovely view of Tarifa. Even a seagull seemed to want to get an overview of the awakening morning in the town.
But since María de Molina Street was quiet—almost too quiet—I decided to return to the Torre de Aljaranda. I hoped to observe even more spotless starlings in Tarifa on the walls there.
The day before, when I returned from El Estrecho Natural Park, I had already seen many spotless starlings on the walls. With the sunrise and the warm light now illuminating the walls, even more starlings joined them, filling the scene with their lively activity.
I actually observed most of the spotless starlings in Tarifa at this tower that morning. But even during the day, the spotless starlings can be spotted here and there in various places.
For example, I also encountered them at Playa de los Lances. There, I watched them take flight in flocks alongside numerous sparrows, gliding gracefully over the beach.
Or in close proximity to cattle egrets.
There, I also spotted a starling that from a distance could easily be mistaken for a spotless starling. This is exactly what the next section is about: What are the differences between spotless starlings and starlings?
Spotless starling and common starling – a comparison
Starlings belong to one of the most species-rich families of songbirds worldwide, the Sturnidae. This family includes over 30 genera with nearly 120 species—impressive, isn’t it?
The two starlings we are focusing on here belong to the genus Sturnus: the spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor, left photo) and the common starling, usually just called ‘starling’ (Sturnus vulgaris, right photo).
Information: I was able to observe another member of the starling family in South Africa: the red-winged starling. I share more about the other bird species I encountered there in a blog post about my birdwatching experiences in South Africa.
Although the spotless starling is very similar to the common starling, the differences become clear quickly: unlike the speckled plumage of the common starling, the spotless starling has unspotted, deep black feathers with a metallic sheen. Its legs are pinkish, and its beak is yellowish, sometimes with a dark tip.
It should be noted that the coloration—especially of the beak and legs—can change depending on whether the bird is in its non-breeding or breeding plumage.
In addition, the spotless starling has elongated feathers on its head and chest. I was able to observe this clearly during my time in Tarifa.
The common starling, on the other hand, develops the characteristic white spots in autumn, which is why it is also called the ‘spotted starling.’ These spots mostly wear off by spring, revealing the glossy green-violet plumage of its breeding feathers.
I observed the following starling in winter in Berlin.
So far, I haven’t seen a spotless starling in Berlin—which isn’t unusual. Spotless starlings are mainly found in southern Central Europe, with their largest range in Spain and Portugal. They are also found along the northwest coast of Africa and on islands such as Sardinia and Sicily.
The common starling, by contrast, has a much larger distribution. Although it is primarily native to the Northern Hemisphere, it has also been introduced to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina, where it is now widespread.
Interestingly, more spotless starlings are observed on the Iberian Peninsula than common starlings. According to iNaturalist, there are currently over 8,500 observations of spotless starlings in Spain and just over 3,000 in Portugal. In comparison, there are more than 2,300 observations of common starlings in Spain and about 600 in Portugal (as of March 2026).
This means that the risk of confusing the two species exists mainly in southern Europe. In Berlin, however, it is practically nonexistent, as only common starlings have been recorded there so far.
In Spain or Portugal, on the other hand, one needs to look more closely to reliably distinguish between the spotless starling and the common starling.
Information: If you’d like to learn more about my observations of the common starling in Berlin, you can find them, among other places, in my blog post about the Winter Bird Count. I regularly encounter these birds in Berlin’s parks.
The birds of Tarifa
While searching for the spotless starlings in Tarifa, I came across many other bird species. The first bird I spotted that morning, however, was not a spotless starling, but a Sardinian warbler. I had already encountered this beautiful bird the day before in El Estrecho Natural Park.
Unfortunately, the lighting conditions were not ideal, as it was still quite dark at sunrise. Nevertheless, the Sardinian warbler appeared several times along the wall that morning, apparently searching for food.
The house sparrows were also searching for food.
While scanning the walls for spotless starlings, I spotted a house sparrow here and there. With their inconspicuous plumage, they were much better camouflaged than the spotless starlings.
The seagulls were already on the move as well.
As I stepped away from the wall, I spotted a pigeon calmly perched on a stone railing—a feral pigeon.
And then I heard a song that was becoming increasingly familiar to me. I immediately suspected that a blackcap must be hiding in one of the trees. By now, I had already heard the song several times—and indeed, it was the Sardinian warbler. For me, a small but delightful success.
One bird I particularly missed that morning, however, was the European stonechat. In Tarifa, I usually encountered them almost everywhere, but this time they were nowhere to be seen on the wall of the Torre de Aljaranda. Of course, a stone wall isn’t really their preferred habitat… However, European stonechats can be seen much more frequently at Playa de los Lances (photo).
Even though I didn’t observe any European stonechats that morning, it was a wonderful morning full of encounters and observations—a small glimpse into the diverse birdlife of Tarifa.
Information: If you’d like to learn more about the birdlife of Tarifa in October, take a look at one of my earlier posts. There, I not only share my encounters with black redstarts but also with many other species.
Moe information
Bird watching El Estrecho Natural Park and at the beach Playa de los Lances
Birds in Barbate
Whales and dolphins in Tarifa
Have you ever observed spotless starlings in Tarifa? Or have you encountered spotless starlings or common starlings elsewhere? Let us know in the comments.
