European Starling
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European Starling
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To learn more click here http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/European_Starling.html
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Has a very stocky body only about 8 or 9 inches in length.
Bird looks as if it does not have a tail when flight.
Color is an iridescent black and has a very bright yellow bill.
The tips of its feathers have white/buff color and thus gives it a speckled look.
15 years ago or so we here in Arizona did not have any Starlings. However, there seems to be more and more every year now. They are taking over the cavity holes in the Saguaros that the Woodpeckers used for their nest. I have seen them throw hatching Gila Woodpeckers out of their cavity nest onto the ground below. They also seem to like to mix in with the Grackles and Black birds.
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I also have found them to very/extremely aggressive towards the other birds.
Below is a humorous example.
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Hey; don't ya know you aren't suppose to talk with your mouth full of peanut butter?
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Those pesky ole woodpeckers sure bluff easy, don't they?
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I'm given you Gila Woodpeckers to 3 to come out of there.
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This image shows the iridescent color.
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Parent feeding a fledging. Yuma, Arizona 05/09/03
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Winter plumage
9/2004 Sweetwater Wet Lands, Tucson, Arizona.
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