Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758)

2018-01-05 Tyumen	© Elena Poliakova

Description

The adult male of the Common Starling in breeding plumage is black with the green, purple and bronze metallic gloss. All body excluding the throat and breast is with some number of the white or buffy spots and edges of the feathers. In the end of the nesting period the feathers gradually staling lose these edges. The upperwing is black with the narrow white or broad buffy edges. The bill is yellow, long and thin; legs are brown, claws are black. The eyes are dark brown. The female is similar but has less metallic gloss. The eyes are very light almost white. After the autumn molting birds have the much expanded buffy or white edges of the feathers which sometimes almost hide the base color on the mantle. Juveniles are plain dark-brown with lighter whitish throat. The flight feathers and its coverts with light-buffy edges. Weight 66,0-97,5 grams, length about 230, wing 117-137, tail 61,2-72,0 mm.

References