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European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Starlings (Sturnidae) | |||||||||||||
Stær ~ Estornino Pinto ~ Stare | |||||||||||||
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Juvenile birds molting into their first basic plumage have heart-shaped white spots on the breast, compared to older birds showing v-shaped spots.
Breeding males show bluish coloration to the base of the bill where females show pinkish. First year birds have more rounded tips to rectrices than adults; different from many other passerines (Jenni and Winkler). |
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Denmark | |||||||||||||
3211
(3 photos)
2019-10-30 Amager Strandpark, Denmark
Subspecies: vulgaris (by location) 3 different Winter birds on a wire. |
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3210
(1 photos)
2019-10-30 Amager Strandpark, Denmark
Subspecies: vulgaris (by location) Two winter plumage birds. |
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3209
(1 photos)
2019-10-30 Amager Strandpark, Denmark
Subspecies: vulgaris (by location) Adult bird in winter plumage, aging it by the still yellowish bill. |
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3208
(2 photos)
2019-10-30 Amager Strandpark, Denmark
Subspecies: vulgaris (by location) Winter plumage birds. Most adult and young birds look alike at this time of year. However, I think the pale base to the lower mandibles here is an indication of adult birds. This plumage looks much more flashy and sparkling than the breeding plumage which comes to light when the pale tips and edges of the body feathers are worn off. Most birds have migrated through the eastern part of Denmark now. |
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3360
(3 photos)
2020-04-06 Kongelundsområdet, Denmark
Subspecies: [vulgaris] Adult male sexed by the bluish base to the bill. The uniformly black plumage is gained later when the white tips are worn off entirely. Always a smart looking bird! |
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3515
(2 photos)
2021-05-26 Kongelunden, Denmark
Egg. Apparently a starling egg. Admitting, though, that I know little about eggs and haven't made a thorough search for alternatives. Lot of starling activity in the forest right now, though, so... Egg |
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3520
(8 photos)
2021-05-28 Kongelunden, Denmark
First saw it as just a nestling. Then came a nuthatch in, and I saw it as a nuthatch nestling. But then it looked abnormally big-mouthed, concluding that a cuckoo had been visiting. This was on 2021-05-28. Then I visited the spot again two days later, 2021-05-30, and to my big surprise a European Starling came in with food in the mouth and started to feed the bird in the nest. I've never seen anything like it. Two different species feeding the same young. Why would that be? From my first visit I still hadn't had time to confirm that the bird in the hole in fact was a cuckoo. But looking at the photos from this day two, I got at feeling that it was not a cuckoo after all. Too plain it looked, and rather starling-like structured. And finding starling nestlings on the line, there was not doubt: It was a young starling being fed both by its parents and an outsider nuthatch! Still on the line, I then found a posting describing the exact same situation elsewhere in Denmark some years ago; and the explanation, reasonable I think, was that it was likely that the nuthatch had started breeding using that same hole, and then was probably forced out by the bigger starlings later on. Perhaps then forced to give up breeding, the nuthatch was still 'programed' to rear this years young from the chosen nest spot, and would therefore instinctly respond as a responsible parent and start feeding when begging sounds were heard. It would indeed have been more unusual if the bird had been a cuckoo. Seeing the large head sticking out of the hole, my first thought actually was, that it would be risky business to have a cuckoo grow up inside a hole that was chosen for much smaller birds. The risk of being trapped and unable to get out when it was time was very real. And that is probably why the cuckoo only rarely choose tree-nesting species as hosts. Not stupid they are. Picture 1-3 2021-05-28. Picture 4-8 2021-05-30. Rare, Aberrant |
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3577
(2 photos)
2021-09-29 Amager Strandpark, Denmark
Adult. Non-breeding. |
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3576
(2 photos)
2021-09-29 Amager Strandpark, Denmark
Adult. Since this is an adult bird, determined by the v-shaped white spots on the breast, the brown-orange patch on the head is created by new feathers, and will be worn off during the time to come. |
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3575
(1 photos)
2021-09-29 Amager Strandpark, Denmark
First calendar year. |
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3574
(2 photos)
2021-09-29 Amager Strandpark, Denmark
First calendar year. Almost in first non-breeding plumage with brown juvenile head feathers still missing replacement. |
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4010
(1 photos)
2022-04-19 Søvang, Denmark
Adult. ♀. Breeding bird in all its splendor. Female with paler bill. |
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4232
(1 photos)
2022-09-22 Dragør Kommune, Denmark
First calendar year. Dragørfortet. Juveniles in transition, foraging. |
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4231
(1 photos)
2022-09-22 Dragør Kommune, Denmark
First calendar year. Dragørfortet. |