Common Starling

The Common Starling is a black bird slightly smaller than the Blackbird with whom it can be confused, but its silhouette is different. The tail is quite short and barely protruding the large wings while resting, whereas the blackbird has short wings and a long tail. The difference is visible while flying as one can appreciate the shape of its wings, pointed and wide at base, similar to triangular. Moreover, flying is very different. The plumage is black and shiny whereas the male blackbird has a dull one. The adult plumage, just after the autumn moult is characterized by black feathers with paler tips (white, cream or even reddish), which gives to the bird a mottled appearance. During the course of wearing these feathers throughout winter, the patches will fade progressively to give way to a glossy black nuptial plumage, with green or lilac reflections depending the place. But there will always remain some traces breaking the uniformity of the plumage, especially in female. The flight feathers and greater coverts are edged with cream or fawn. At the same time, the beak and legs, which were dark at the time of moult, take colour. It is at this level that a slight sexual dimorphism can be seen : reproductive male has yellow beak with bluish base while in female the base is rosy. Moreover, the male's legs have a brighter pinkish-red colour than the female's. He also has more ornamental feathers around the throat which shows well while singing. The female's iris is slightly paler. But everything works towards the adults being in their finest attire during spring for reproduction. The juvenile is very different in looks to the point that one often mistakes it for another species. Its plumage is entirely brown-gray and quite clear.
The uniformity is simply broken by the chamois edges of the wing feathers. The beak is blackish with a yellow commissure. The legs are reddish or brownish.