Introduced in generation four, with the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl games, Staravia is a dual type normal and flying Pokemon. It is the second stage evolution of its three stage evolution line and evolves from Starly and into Staraptor once they reach the level thresholds. Staravia is classified by the Pokedex as the “Starling Pokemon” which may be a reference to its general design. This guide will showcase Staravia’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Staravia.
About Staravia
As a generation four Pokemon, Staravia first appeared in the Diamond and Pearl season of the anime with the episode A Staravia is Born!. In this episode, the Starly that Ash starts his journey with evolves into a Staravia. The Pokedex states that Staravia will gather together in large numbers. They seem self-aware of their weakness when alone, and it is nearly impossible to see a single Staravia instead of a group.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Diamond and Pearl A Staravia is Born! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Diamond and Pearl |
| Region | Sinnoh |
| Evolution | Evolves from Starly, evolves into Staraptor |
| 1st Evo level | 14 |
| 2nd Evo level | 34 |
| Pokedex Entry | Recognizing their own weakness, they always live in a group. When alone, a Staravia cries noisily. |
Staravia Base Stats
| HP | 55 |
| ATTACK | 75 |
| DEFENCE | 50 |
| SP. ATTACK | 40 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 40 |
| SPEED | 80 |
| TOTAL | 340 |
Appearance
Staravia is a black and white Pokemon that resembles a bird while most of its body is black, the area around its face is white, and it has an orange beak. The white markings on its face change between the genders and the female Staravia has a smaller marking. The markings are also in the shape of a star. It has two black ruffled wings that need to be flapped often to keep its body up. There is a pointed, gray and black tail feather at Staravia’s base. Staravia is a small Pokemon at only 2 feet, or 0.6 meters, tall.
Behavior
While the Pokedex mentions that Staravia can have some power in its flap, they are also inconspicuous when they are alone. As a result, Staravia tends to gather in large groups to protect itself. They can be commonly found near forests where they hunt for bug type Pokemon. The group can often get into disagreements and individuals can be seen fighting amongst each other often. Despite their arguments, they will never abandon the group as there is safety in numbers.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As the middle evolution of its evolution line, Staravia has yet to reach its powerful status. It does have a decent speed and physical attack which makes it a good offensive Pokemon. However, until it evolves, it will eventually become outclassed by more powerful Pokemon. As a dual type normal and flying Pokemon, Staravia takes 2x damage from rock, electric, and ice type moves. It is immune to ground and ghost type moves, but will resist bug and grass type moves.
Best Moveset
In competitive play, there is little room for Staravia. Even in the unique NFE (Not Fully Evolved) format, Staravia is simply outclassed by other Pokemon. If you are interested in this Pokemon’s evolution line, it is best to focus on Staraptor for competitive play. Staraptor has a straightforward aggressive lineup of stats and it can use the Choice Band, as a held item, to make it more likely to one-hit knock out your opponent’s Pokemon. The Reckless ability ensures that any hit that connects will deal significant damage. Consider running Brave Bird, Double-Edge, U-Turn, and Close Combat/Quick Attack. This set is self-explanatory. Use damaging moves when Staraptor has a good matchup and use U-Turn if Staraptor is in a bad matchup. You can pick between Close Combat or Quick Attack as more type coverage or having access to a priority move.
| Brave Bird | Double-Edge |
| U-Turn | Close Combat/Quick Attack |
How to Catch Staravia in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Staravia in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Starly and eventually evolve it into Staravia. Like most evolved forms of Pokemon, its base evolution is much more common to encounter. You can find Starly spawning in the wild, at a boosted rate, near farms, fields, forests, parks, playgrounds, and countryside areas. Starly has also hatched from 2 km eggs but while Staravia and Staravia have not been raid bosses, Staraptor has been a tier three raid boss at Pokemon Gyms. To evolve a Staravia into a Staravia you will need 25 candies and then you’ll need another 100 candies to evolve a Staravia into a Staraptor.
Trivia
- The inspiration for Staravia’s design is likely based on an adult starling. However, its features seem to more closely resemble the northern lapwing.
- The name Staravia is a combination of the words starling and avian.
FAQ
Is Staraptor a good Pokemon?
Historically Staraptor has performed as a useful offensive Pokemon. While it lacks the potential to scale its moves quickly, its base stats are powerful enough for it to function as a threat right at the beginning of battle. It can also come with the ability Reckless which makes any moves with recoil damage deal even more damage.
How do you evolve Staravia?
Staravia will evolve naturally as long as you level it up. Starly will evolve into Staravia once it reaches level 14. Staravia will evolve into Staraptor once it reaches level 34. There are no unique conditions to fulfill with this evolution line and they will evolve as long as you reach the level thresholds. After Starly finally evolves into a Staraptor, you can move on to collecting other Pokemon.
Where do you catch Staravia?
In Pokemon Go, you can find Staravia spawning near farms, fields, forests, parks, playgrounds, and countryside areas. In the mainline games you can find Staravia spawning in multiple locations. Only generation five requires you to first obtain Starly and eventually evolve it. The other games have Staravia spawning in the wild naturally.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Starling Pokemon”. While Staravia’s impact on competitive play is limited to a unique format, it can still be a formidable Pokemon. While its statlines are not the strongest, it can be simple to deal significant damage with Staravia. Reserve a slot on your team for Staravia if you want an aggressive normal and flying type Pokemon.
