Bird reminds me of a stealth bomber
May 10, 2020 08:32:10 #
Canon 1Dmk4, Canon 500 f4
These birds showed up yesterday, can anyone tell me what they are?
These birds showed up yesterday, can anyone tell me what they are?
May 10, 2020 08:38:52 #
May 10, 2020 08:50:05 #
I believe that those are European Starlings, very pretty birds, but there sure are a lot of them.
Marshall
Marshall
May 10, 2020 08:51:42 #
May 10, 2020 08:56:49 #
jim quist wrote:
Canon 1Dmk4, Canon 500 f4
These birds showed up yesterday, can anyone tell me what they are?
These birds showed up yesterday, can anyone tell me what they are?
Look to me like Black birds, not Grackles tail feathers are wrong, all the Grackle I’ve seen the tail feathers are like a rudder it’s turned 90 degrees.
May 10, 2020 09:00:52 #
jim quist wrote:
Canon 1Dmk4, Canon 500 f4
These birds showed up yesterday, can anyone tell me what they are?
These birds showed up yesterday, can anyone tell me what they are?
They are starlings.
May 10, 2020 09:08:12 #
A little tough to tell. Grackles (at least those around here) tend to be very dark and are generally iridescent, in the sunlight. Starlings are more of a mottled brown and a little chubbier than Grackles. Both are gregarious and travel in flocks although the Starling flocks are really big with hundreds of members.
When migrating, the Starlings are almost like locusts, covering our property and turning over every leaf and twig, looking for food. They even pick through our gutters. I would bet they pull out a number of ticks and other nasty bugs in their quest so I welcome their onslaught.
When migrating, the Starlings are almost like locusts, covering our property and turning over every leaf and twig, looking for food. They even pick through our gutters. I would bet they pull out a number of ticks and other nasty bugs in their quest so I welcome their onslaught.
May 10, 2020 12:01:15 #
May 10, 2020 12:31:07 #
May 10, 2020 12:43:23 #
bluezzzzz wrote:
I believe that those are European Starlings, very pretty birds, but there sure are a lot of them.
Marshall
Marshall
European Starlings have yellow beaks.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling/overview
May 10, 2020 12:48:19 #
Look closely; both birds with visible beaks have yellow beaks; all have speckled / “spangled” plumage; they are starlings.
Dave
Dave
May 11, 2020 06:11:18 #
New Mexico Dave
Loc: Corrales, NM
Definitely European Starlings. Photographed in late October, they have already done a complete body molt and are in basic plumage at this point. As the winter and spring continue, the feathers wear a bit and the white spots will disappear into the glossy black overall that we have come to expect. This is their alternate plumage (breeding plumage).
May 11, 2020 07:32:17 #
May 11, 2020 07:47:34 #
Yesterday I heard a protest going on in front of my house so I went out to investigate. All I saw was grackles in my neighbor's yard ... until I saw the protesters. Blue Jays were swooping down and pecking the intruders. I had seen the birds staking out their territory in the Shumard Red Oak in my yard, dissuading squirrels and cats, but I did't know how much territory they controlled. Since the birds had adopted me and I had watched their nticcs outside my office window for so long, I thought they would appreciate assistance. My approach did the job. In this case it was the Bluejays who were the stealth bombers.
May 11, 2020 09:25:21 #
olemikey
Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida
jim quist wrote:
Canon 1Dmk4, Canon 500 f4
These birds showed up yesterday, can anyone tell me what they are?
These birds showed up yesterday, can anyone tell me what they are?
Probably Starlings, Grackles have a yellow ring around the eye, shows prominantly in photos or otherwise.....
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