Few people know what starlings look like

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:45

Birds have the ability to fly for a long time and settle everywhere very actively. Most of them live in the forest, and only a few live in settlements, closer to humans. Watching the behavior and habits of birds is a very pleasant experience. If you are interested in knowing what a starling looks like, then read this article.

How to distinguish among other birds

Often we hear the singing of different birds, but we do not know who it delights our ears. Few, for example, know what starlings look like. The photos in the article will help you distinguish these birds from others. These birds live in flat areas.

What do starlings look like? It is a small bird in size. Its length is from 20 to 25 cm, and the weight is not more than 100 grams, the physique is dense. The tail is short, consisting of 12 tail feathers, the wings are of moderate length, the legs are strong. The bird has a long and sharp beak. Its color changes depending on the season. Starlings walk with a yellow beak in spring, and by autumn it begins to turn black. They usually have a dark color with a greenish and reddish tint. When autumn comes, white spots can be seen on the feathers of this bird, with the advent of spring theydisappear.

By external signs, you can determine who is in front of you - a male or a female. The beak of males has a bluish spot. In the female, you can see a red spot in this place. The young starling has a black beak, and the color of the plumage is brown. In nature, you can find a pink starling. In spring, his body turns pink, the tail, head and wings remain black. By autumn, the plumage of the starling again becomes brown with a pink and yellow tint.

Starlings are birds of temperate latitudes, nomadic or sedentary. They are very dexterous, easy and fast fly. At the same time, noise comes from the wing flap. Now, knowing what starlings look like, you can watch them, this is a very interesting activity.

Common starling as a separate species

In nature, there are 100 species of these birds. But on all continents there is an ordinary starling. This is a separate species of the genus of starlings. Its homeland is the western regions of Asia and Europe. Usually these birds do not migrate in winter. From the northeastern regions, they fly south only if there is a possibility of severe cold.

The common starling during the nesting period forms colonies, in which there are usually several pairs of birds. They settle from each other at a distance of 10 to 15 meters. These birds tend to move in flocks. It may contain several dozen individuals.

Starlings feed on plant foods, insects, and can even eat waste left over from humans. They prefer to get food directly in the air or on the ground. This bird takes out earthworms and larvae fromland with a beak. Starlings are very fond of fruits, berries, seeds and vegetables. They are very clever at tearing garbage bags with their beaks to eat leftover food.

Behavior and habitats

Starlings move well on reed stems and tree branches. Falling to the ground, they walk slowly. When looking for food, they begin to continuously tilt their head, turning either to the right or to the left. These birds are good singers. They have a loud, slightly raspy voice. They tend to imitate the singing of other birds and even the voice of a person. They can imitate the bleating of sheep, the croaking of a frog, the clicking of a whip, the barking of a dog. Starlings have learned to imitate the noise of a typewriter or the sound of a mobile call. When they arrive from the south in spring, they sing with the voices of subtropical birds.

Starlings live in flat areas. They can be found from the lower to the middle belt of mountains. Starlings nest in closed places. It can be a hollow, a deepening of steep slopes, cracks in a rock, or an earth embankment. If the birds nest in settlements, they nest under the roofs of houses, under balconies and in various niches.

How many times a year chicks hatch

Two clutches of eggs a year in starlings occurs in temperate and southern regions. In the northern latitudes, they lay eggs once a year. In clutch there may be 4-7 plain bluish, whitish or greenish eggs. Incubation of chicks lasts from 2 to 3 weeks. The same time is needed for feeding them. Very funny photos of what starlings look like when they just hatched from an egg.

Relationshipsstarling with other fauna and humans

Now you know what a starling is in life. It would be useful to learn about his relationship with humans, other birds and animals. So, for example, they can be with great pleasure next to the ferret and eat food with him. In their colonies, these birds do not tolerate strangers.

The starling benefits a person by saving green spaces from insects. Flocks of birds fertilize the soil well with their droppings. In spring, starlings roam the fields along with rooks. Since ancient times, people, knowing what a starling looks like and what its dimensions are, made birdhouses so that the birds could live comfortably. They take great care of their offspring and always bring food to the nest for the chicks.

Damage to agriculture

In Russia, starlings are often found in the courtyards of houses. The owners, knowing what starlings look like, admire them. The singing of this bird pleases the human ear. By nature, starlings are very trusting and courageous. In the middle of summer, young birds fly out of their nests and begin to roam the meadows in noisy flocks. In autumn, from mid-September to early October, the migration of starlings begins. Many of them fly away in early November, when the first snow falls. For the winter, single starlings and their small flocks remain with a warm pre-winter. During this period, their mass accumulation can become a serious threat to agriculture. They begin to peck berries and eat grain crops, thereby causing significant economic damage.