STARLINGs & their Allies - Bird of the Month: April 2013

[Lisbeth]

My pleasure

[nan]

Hildebrandt's Starling



http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Hildebrandt's_Starling

[Amoli]

Very pretty Nan.

[Flutterby]

Very nice nan!

[ExFmem]

Starling help pretty please…



3. Burchells ?



4. Meves or Burchells ?



5. ??



Thanks!

3. Burchell's starling
4. Burchell's starling

Totally agree with Lis on no. 3 and 4 (and also 5) - the tail is not long enough for a Meves.

[ExFmem]

Starling help pretty please…

Greater Blue-eared?

1.


2.

1. Cape glossy starling ??
2. Greater blue-eared starling

No. 1 is difficult for me because I can't see the belly, but the second one is a greater blue-eared.

I think No 1 is a Greater too

I agree with Lis' ID's.

I omitted Cape Glossy for these 2 due to the presence (to me) of the blackish ear patch, which the Cape Glossy lacks. No, they are not the same bird - taken 3 weeks apart.

The first one does not have the "right" mask, I think it is the light that makes a dark spot

The first one has a different colour on its head. Like I said before, much more lilac. And both species to sport that ear patch in the according light.
That's why I wasn't sure what the first one is in the first place.

[leachy]

any intelligent guesses on the id of this feathered specimen...

Female violet-backed starling...........Intelligent enough

[ExFmem]

KTP

1.

IMG_1144.jpg (133.1 KiB) Viewed 966 times

1. Cape glossy starling.

How come the Glossy Starling's eyes are not orange/yellow? Juv?

Juvenile Cape glossy starlings have dull grey eye rings that yellow with age around 2 to 3 months old. It takes 6 months for them to become the bright orange-yellow of the adults.

[Dindingwe]

Beautiufl birds !

Wattled Starling (Kruger)

Plum-coloured Starling (Kruger)

Cape Starling (Kruger)

Burchell Starling (Kruger)

Pied Starling (Golden Gate Highlands)

[Richprins]

That first one is a ridiculous bird!