Electrographic and behavioural observations were conducted on two male and two female captive starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) under natural illumination conditions during autumn. Polygraphically sleep and wakefulness of starling were similar to those of other birds. Starling's total sleep (TS) and slow wave sleep (SWS) lasted 39.0 +/- 1.4% and 38.3 +/- 1.7% of the 24-h period respectively. Paradoxical sleep (PS) was 1.8 +/- 0.2% of the total sleep time. The mean durations individual of TS, SWS and PS episodes were 6.8 +/- 0.2 min, 5.0 +/- 1.0 min and 18 +/- 3 s respectively. The daily percentage of SWS was correlated with the mean episode duration while that of PS was correlated with the number of episodes rather than with the mean episode duration. Starling females spent in sleep a greater percentage of the 24-h period than males.