Bird Highlight: The Starling on the Red List

What makes the starling so special?

At first sight the star seems to be just a normal dark bird. But in reality the species combines a lot of fascinating factors! In spring the birds appear in metallic shimmering black, while in autumn they are covered with a white pearl pattern. This transformation depends on the moult and the wear of the feathers.

The Starling males are talented imitators. They can perfectly imitate environmental sounds and incorporate them into their singing - from alarms to dog barking. As they hardly move their beaks during this trick, they look like little ventriloquists.

Actually the Starling comes from Europe and Asia but he became a citizen of Southwest Africa, New Zealand, Australia and North America, where he is not often found anymore.