Description: Starly is a Normal/Flying bird Pokémon with black and grey plumage and white-feathered faces, as well as orange beaks and talons. They are rather small, but they flap their wings powerfully in flight which allows them to keep aloft more easily and with fewer wingbeats than other unevolved normal/flying bird Pokémon. They rely exclusively on physical attacks and speed in battle, as they cannot learn Gust or Air Cutter. They evolve relatively early compared to Pidgey and Pidove, who have similar evolution patterns.
Behaviour: Starly are social Pokémon, travelling in flocks due to their own individual weakness. Their cries are strident and noisy. Starly are very timid outside of flocks and a Starly does not live long or well without one. If their flocks grow too big, they will bicker noisily until they break up into smaller flocks. They rely on their flock to fight off predators such as Fearow, Pidgeot, Luxio, Luxray, Persian, Scyther, and civilized hunting Pokémon.
Threat Level: Low. A lone Starly in the wild attacks using only physical attacks and although great at flying, their battling skills are not very advanced. Unless you encounter a hostile flock or the Starly happens to be found in a mystery dungeon, they will rarely initiate a battle. In flocks, they are easily dispatched by super-effective or strong multiple target attacks which will cause them to get too injured to attack further.
Habitat: Starly live in woodlands, grasslands, and urban areas and they migrate to warmer climates in the winter.
Description: Staravia is a Normal/Flying bird that evolves from Starly with battle experience. They gain the ability Intimidate after evolution, which helps lower opponents' physical attack strength in battle. They are similar to Starly in appearance, but have much bigger torsos and a large black feather plume on top of their head.
Behaviour: They tend to lead flocks of Starly, and are much less timid when alone than their pre-evolved brethren. They cry noisily when alone. If they believe another flock is intruding on their flock's territory or flight path, there will be a squabble. Their territory battles rarely go past short battles in the air, and it almost never results in serious injury or death for either party.
Threat Level: Moderate. Staravia are protective of their territory and may initiate battle if they believe you to be a threat that needs to be driven off. Unlike Starly, a Staravia is much faster and more physically powerful, and if they command their flock to attack you as well, you may receive a beating if you are ill-prepared for battling with multiple opponents. Pack orbs such as Totter Orbs, or use moves such as Discharge and Blizzard to ward off flocks. If you don't have access to these moves, try other multiple-target or super-effective attacks to drive them off.
Habitat: Same as Starly, although some Staravia have been reported living in mountainous areas.
Description: Staraptor is a Normal/Flying type bird renowned for their excellent sight, ability to endure strain and suffering, physical attacking prowess, and ability to use the fighting-type move Close Combat. Like Staravia, its ability is Intimidate, an ability that lowers the physical attack power of its foes in battle. It is a large bird of prey, with red-coloured, distinctive eyes that now lack the black ring surrounding them and a red crest on top of its head. Like its pre-evolutions, it has black feathers on its wings, back and undercarriage, but its breast and face areas are distinctively white.
Behaviour: Staraptor are birds of prey; they will swoop down if they believe you to either be easy prey or a threat. They are very proud and intelligent Pokémon who hunt in solitude and they leave the flock as soon as they evolve. When another Staraptor is encountered of the same gender, they will fight viciously until one is unconscious in order to assert territorial claims, even if they were once in the same flock. Staraptor of opposite gender will do the same unless they are both ready to mate, but this is rare.
Threat Level: High. Due to the fact that they are solitary hunters, they do not rely on the power of their flock to battle effectively, and are therefore capable fighters on their own. They are capable of using moves such as Take Down, Close Combat, Final Gambit, and even Brave Bird in battle, unlike Staravia, who relies more on speedy attacks in battle. Due to the fact that their attacks are reckless and dangerous, they can be worn down by a Pokémon that is capable of bearing the brunt of multiple physical attacks. One must be careful if they are a Steel-type, Ice-type or Rock-type that expects to have the advantage: Close Combat is a very powerful fighting-type move when used effectively and can severely wound the recipient if they are unprepared. Staraptor is also very fast in the air, not quite to the same level as Pidgeot or Swellow is, but they are not easy targets to hit in the air. Using a Stun Seed, Blinker Seed, Totter Orb, or a disabling move is an effective strategy. Burning, poisoning or paralyzing this Pokémon will severely hamper its ability to battle you for very long or very effectively, as well as using electric or ice attacks. After using Close Combat, its defenses weaken, and it is naturally more vulnerable to special attacks, so use those if you wish to defeat it quickly, as Staraptor do not flee battle. If you spot one, do not attempt to outrun it if you wish to avoid it unless you are fast enough to do so (Espeon, Arcanine, Jolteon, Sceptile, Crobat, Swellow), rather, use an Orb or disabling seed if it swoops at you, or if you can, find cover so it doesn't see you. Staraptor have excellent senses of sight, but unlike Luxray, they cannot see through objects.
Habitat: Staraptor live in mountainous or grassland areas where prey such as Rattata are plentiful.