{"id":85174,"date":"2021-04-20T05:07:29","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T11:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=85174"},"modified":"2024-12-13T05:10:50","modified_gmt":"2024-12-13T11:10:50","slug":"european-starling-on-three-perches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/04\/20\/european-starling-on-three-perches\/","title":{"rendered":"European Starling On Three Perches"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult European Starling in spring \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Two days ago I was able to take photos of a male European Starling on three different perches just a few seconds apart in northern Utah. In this first photo the starling was perched on a sumac branch where he had been calling and singing<\/span><\/a>. It is breeding season for European Starlings and they make some of the most interesting calls and songs at this time of the year.<\/p>\n

By the way, these birds are called Common Starlings<\/span><\/a> in Europe.<\/p>\n

\"EuropeanEuropean Starling perched on a budding Fragrant Sumac \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/500, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The male European Starling lifted off from the first perch to land on another budding Fragrant Sumac shrub. I liked how the cliff face in the background created a natural cameo effect behind the bird in this photo.<\/p>\n

This photo also shows a bluish hue to the base of his bill which during the breeding season indicates that this starling is a male. The rest of the year I wouldn’t even attempt to identify the gender of this species. The base of the bill of female European Starlings during the breeding season is pinkish.<\/p>\n

\"EuropeanEuropean Starling perched on a lichen encrusted boulder \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The starling flew from the sumac shrub to a nearby lichen encrusted boulder which is when I took this last photo of him.<\/p>\n

The starlings in the desert habitat where I photographed this male use cracks and small openings in the nearby cliff faces for nesting cavities.<\/p>\n

I know that these starlings aren’t loved by many people because they are introduced and cause problems for our native birds. I can’t and won’t blame the birds for being here, that blame falls directly on the people that brought them to our country many years ago.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my European Starling photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two days ago I was able to take photos of a male European Starling on three different perches just a few seconds apart in northern Utah.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":137814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,1148,249,26],"tags":[4004,4053,4073,4098,251,6767,4062,6768,165,4815,4739,4262,7630],"class_list":["post-85174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-european-starlings","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-breeding-season","tag-desert","tag-european-starling","tag-fragrant-sumac","tag-male","tag-rhus-aromatica","tag-spring","tag-starling","tag-starlings","tag-sturnus-vulgaris","tag-sumac"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/european-starling-fragrant-sumac-mia-mcpherson-6795.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-m9M","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":77112,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/01\/02\/european-starling-my-first-of-year-bird-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":85174,"position":0},"title":"European Starling – My First Of Year Bird 2021","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 2, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The first bird I saw in 2021 was a European Starling perched on a power line on the road to my local grocery store about 8:15 am yesterday morning.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"European Starling at a pond's edge, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/european-starling-pond-winter-mia-mcpherson-2670.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/european-starling-pond-winter-mia-mcpherson-2670.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/european-starling-calling-mia-mcpherson-9109.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/european-starling-calling-mia-mcpherson-9109.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/european-starling-calling-mia-mcpherson-9109.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/european-starling-calling-mia-mcpherson-9109.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54718,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/10\/22\/european-starling-facts-and-information\/","url_meta":{"origin":85174,"position":2},"title":"European Starling Facts and Information","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Personally I am fascinated by European Starling murmurations, their interesting, beautiful plumage and how they can mimic the calls and songs of other birds.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"European Starling lifting off from rusty barbed wire fence, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/european-starling-rusty-barbed-wire-mia-mcpherson-2184.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/european-starling-rusty-barbed-wire-mia-mcpherson-2184.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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"Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Molting juvenile European Starling, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/european-starling-juvenile-molting-mia-mcpherson-1638.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/european-starling-juvenile-molting-mia-mcpherson-1638.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/european-starling-juvenile-molting-mia-mcpherson-1638.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/european-starling-juvenile-molting-mia-mcpherson-1638.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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McPherson","date":"February 6, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"When this European Starling perched in a Crabapple tree close to me during the snowstorm I was able to get a few photos of it before my hands started to hurt from the cold.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"European Starling perched in a Crabapple tree, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/european-starling-snow-storm-mia-mcpherson-6792.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/european-starling-snow-storm-mia-mcpherson-6792.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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