Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Look Again People, I'm Beautiful

Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris

    I don't know whether Common Starlings are treated with as much disdain in other parts of the world, as they sometimes are here, but they are stunningly beautiful birds if one takes the time to look at them closely.
   They are, of course, an introduced species, and aggressively compete with native species for nesting cavities. But it is we who introduced them into North America and we should not now be maligning them for their success. They have become part of our avifauna and I always enjoy seeing them, especially when they enliven a sterile parking lot on a breezy winter's day.




   
David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

11 comments:

  1. Starlings do look beautiful when the sun shines on them, but introduced species are a huge problem, and not easily solved!

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  2. Buen blog David, me encanta este pájaro, uno de ellos todas las mañanas imita perfectamente el canto de una perdiz roja en mi azotea. Saludos desde Ecija.

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  3. Buen blog David. Me encanta este ave, todas las mañanas uno de ellos canta en mi azotea imitando perfectamente el canto de una perdiz roja. Saludos desde Ecija.

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    1. Muchas gracias por su comentario, Pablo. Me gusta mucho!

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  4. Yes, even here in the UK where the Starling is endemic, it is treated with disdain, probably because it has been so common and at their roosts the birds make a mess. Unfortunately it is also a seriously declining species - a great shame since as you say it is quite beautiful.

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  5. Lovely bird.. Wonderful colors. A regard from madrid..

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  6. The starlings are beautiful birds. Their plumage shines like no other, and especially if they are in the sun. Behind my house, I have a lot of starlings. They also eat all the food in what is for all birds.

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  7. Hi David. I think starlings are beautifully marked. You got some great shots, the last one is terrific. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  8. Oh gee!
    Lovely photos of a common bird, but believe it (or not) I never managed to get close enough to one picture!
    Happy to admire them close up here, I love the chic red legs!
    Well done David!

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  9. Beautiful colors, the starling, especially when sitting in the sun as your last picture.


    Groetjes Tinie

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  10. yes David I agree, they are very photogenice - and yes they are viewed with some distaint here too as I remember. To be honest, I never see them in my coastal location

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