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Starly is a go-to flying-type Pokemon, and that hasn’t changed in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. The starling Pokemon and its final evolution, Staraptor, remain a threat in gen-nine games. Pokemon fans have been getting an awful lot of Staraptor over recent games. The Pokemon was a go-to party member for many in both Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. It’s back for another round in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.
Even though there are other powerful flying Pokemon like returning Kalos Pokemon Talonflame and the electrifying Paldean newcomer Kilowattrel, many players find their way back to Staraptor. Here’s how to catch a Starly and evolve it into its final form.
How to Catch Starly in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Players can catch Starly right at the start of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet in the area southwest of Mesagoza. The Pokemon is a common spawn and can appear in flocks, sometimes surrounding its evolved form, Staravia.
How to Evolve Starly into Staraptor
Starly evolves into Staravia at level 14, which then evolves into Staraptor at level 34. That said, players don’t necessarily need to have Starly on their party in order to get themselves a Staravia or Staraptor.
Each form of Starly appears somewhere in the western half of Paldea, with its habitat moving north as the Pokemon evolves. The exact habitats for Staravia and Staraptor can be seen here:
Is Staraptor a Good Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet?
Staraptor is a solid flying-type Pokemon when playing Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s story and in trainer battles, but can struggle in Tera Raid battles. Mediocre Pokemon are just fine in the story mode, but Staraptor is a step above “fine” as it can hit hard and has respectable bulk. It lacks coverage options but players will be able to hit opponents hard at each stage of the game.
In ranked battles, Staraptor is a generally decent flying-type Pokemon thanks to its access to the moves Brave Bird, Close Combat, and Final Gambit. Brave Bird and Close Combat can be combined with Staraptor’s solid Speed and Attack stats to threaten a wide variety of opponents. And in doubles battles, flying types naturally synergize with Earthquake users like Garchomp.
The one area where Staraptor struggles is in Tera Raid battles. Staraptor’s best offensive attacks have a major drawback with Close Combat dropping defense stats while Brave Bird has recoil damage. That makes Staraptor a bit of a liability in five or six-star Tera Raid battles.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.