fkkc 26/03/2011 12:30
ID please - White-cheeked Starling (Rufous plumage ?)
I saw two white-cheeked starlings among a flock with rufous cheek and rump instead of white. Is the rufous colour part of the breeding plumage? They were found in Long Valley on 25.3.2011.
[img]http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz173/bearyoyo/IMG_9107w.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz173/bearyoyo/IMG_9101w.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz173/bearyoyo/IMG_9108w.jpg[/img]
gary 26/03/2011 17:29
Definitely not breeding plumage.
It was told that starlings are stained with color artificially prior to release in mainland China.
Gary
ajohn 26/03/2011 23:07
Interesting. I also saw presumably the same two birds at San Tin a few days ago.
I have seen oddly-coloured White-shouldered and Red-billed Starlings previously, but not White-cheeked. I have always been interested about the strange colour, so I am very interested in Gary's report that birds are stained with colour in China