Hola,
Ian Topolsky and I were doing a little birding around Fauquier County today,
and while taking a quick lunch break at Panera Bread, we gave the local
starlings a hard look, as is our wont.? We were both shocked to find an actual
Eurasian Starling, not the feral starlings that we typically see here.? This is
a bird of the nominative, Sturnus vulgaris vulgaris race, as opposed to the
more typical S. v. americanus.?
Both forms are remarkably similar, with the Eurpoean form having a slightly
more straw-colored bill during breeding season, which averages a millimeter or
two longer (very obvious in direct comparison).? Also, the primary spacing of
the American version is much tighter (by at least a millimeter), and the wing
tips of American birds are a couple millimeters further from the tip of the
tail than the European counterpart.? The diameter of the legs on this bird was
a little chunkier, but I've not read where that is a reliable field mark.?
Lastly, some of the white spots on the mantle did appear more oval, and less
round, which does muddy the waters a bit, as that is more associated with
americanus.? The bird was doing a perfect mimic of Black-headed
Nightingale-Thrush.
There's been much mumbling about a split of these species, so I was really
quite shocked and excited to be looking at one in Virginia.
For directions, one can go to the Panera website, and use the store locator and
find the only one in Warrenton.?
Cheers,
Todd Day
Jeffersonton, VA
blkvulture@xxxxxxx
