Photo taken in garden ~ South Wales
The European Starling is a common, highly social, and noisy bird, often seen in large, fast-moving flocks. Here is a detailed description:
They are medium-sized birds, slightly smaller than a blackbird or an American robin.
They appear quite "chunky" or sturdy, with a very short, triangular tail and a long, slender, pointed beak.
In flight, their wings are short and pointed, making them look somewhat like a four-pointed star.
At a distance, they appear mostly black.
Up close during Spring/Summer their feathers are actually a highly glossy, metallic, or iridescent black, with strong purple and green sheens.
In winter, their feathers become less glossy, appearing browner and covered in many small, bright white spots.
The beak changes colour with the seasons, appearing yellow in the breeding season (summer) and darker or brownish in the winter.
They are very active and confident on the ground, often walking or running quickly rather than hopping.
They are highly gregarious, meaning they spend most of the year in large, noisy flocks.
They are loud and produce a wide variety of sounds, including constant rattles, whirrs, clicks, and whistles.
In winter, they are famous for forming "murmuration's"— massive, swirling, and rapidly changing shapes in the sky at sunset.
Silhouette: A chunky body with a very short tail.
Speckled/spangled appearance.
Fast, direct flight in groups.
The #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #singing, bird’s singing or calling. The Alt theme is #bowed birds with their heads bowed - set by @alan678.bsky.social ~ Managed to catch the iridescent colours of this Starling whilst it was calling 😁🪶🦉 #birdingWales #ukbirding #birdphotography #EastCoastKin