# Smile for the birdie, (what kind of bird is this?)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [October 9, 2006, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769 "2006-10-09T02:53:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/1 "2006-10-09T02:53:07Z")
[Birdie](http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a145/StevenBarrett11238/SDMB/Park04.jpg)
For a ‘little brown NYC bird’ it sure is kind of pretty.
I snapped this little guy aobut two weeks ago at the Columbus Circle entrance to the park.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/2 "2006-10-09T02:54:36Z")
I don’t think it’s a robin or a sandhill crane.
Velociraptor?
QtM, who recognizes a few birds, but is pretty clueless about the rest.
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/3 "2006-10-09T03:27:03Z")
Maybe a starling? Let me look around and I’ll get back to you.
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/4 "2006-10-09T03:32:23Z")
Yeah, I’m going with European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), in adult non-breeding plumage Sibley p. 416). The prettiest starling I’ve every seen!
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### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/5 "2006-10-09T03:50:52Z")
Starling? Doesn’t look much like a starling to me. But then I generally see them flying over in an unholy flock. By the shape of the head looks like some kind of pidgeon.
That or a velociraptor. Keep the kids indoors.
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/6 "2006-10-09T04:03:27Z")
If you Google starling photos, you’ll see some where that burnt-orange bit about the wings is more prominent. As I say, I’ve never seen one this pretty, but the illustration in Sibley looks exact to me.
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/7 "2006-10-09T04:11:27Z")
Some starlings with good detail (though Zebra’s beats them all):
desc=images/photos/b\_starling\_europe\_rspb.html&width=&caption=Common+Starling
[http://www.gla.ac.uk/~gbza22/jpegs/birds/starling.jpg](http://www.gla.ac.uk/~gbza22/jpegs/birds/starling.jpg)
[http://www.naturephotography.org.ua/photo/starling.jpg](http://www.naturephotography.org.ua/photo/starling.jpg)
> **[INRAE : recherches pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement](https://www.inrae.fr/)**
>
> INRAE est un institut de recherche public œuvrant pour un développement cohérent et durable de l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement.
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### Author:  [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/8 "2006-10-09T04:11:31Z")
That is a really good picture, the colors are great! Only problem is we can’t see the face.
It looks like [this starling.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Common_starling_in_london.jpg/200px-Common_starling_in_london.jpg).
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### Author:  [@Lady\_Venom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Venom)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/9 "2006-10-09T04:14:42Z")
I love starlings! They sound like R2D2 and the high pitched scream he does 😛
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/10 "2006-10-09T04:16:12Z")
Seriously, Zebra, a terrific photo. Mind if I throw it on my desktop before I teach this week? I like to change the background before every PowerPoint.
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### Author:  [@Hirundo82](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirundo82)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/11 "2006-10-09T04:16:39Z")
I’m going to go with [immature European starling](http://www.backyardbirdcam.com/gallery/starling-juv.htm). If it were an adult the head would be all black, no matter what time of year.
Pretty fresh plumage too; the white spots are visible on the tips of starlings’ feathers [when their plumage is new](http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/htmsl/h4930pi.jpg), but by spring the tips of the feathers (where the white is located) is worn down enough that they are [glossy black](http://www.tamstuart.com/Slide%20Show%202003/images/European%20Starling%205903.jpg).
It is a shame that they are such pests, because they really are beautiful birds.
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/12 "2006-10-09T04:32:30Z")
Good call on the head color, **Hirundo82.** I was too caught up with the orange on the coverts.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/13 "2006-10-09T05:25:38Z")
[QUOTE=Shoshana]
Seriously, Zebra, a terrific photo. Mind if I throw it on my desktop before I teach this week? I like to change the background before every PowerPoint.
[/QUOTE]
No problem, it’s on my desktop right now.
[Here is another shot with his buddy.](http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a145/StevenBarrett11238/SDMB/Park03.jpg)
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/14 "2006-10-09T05:27:28Z")
Thanks. That is one festive bird.
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### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/15 "2006-10-09T23:59:21Z")
I take it back. I don’t think it’s a pidgeon. But I don’t think it’s a starling either. I’m pretty sure it’s a grackle. Quite like a starling. But they have marking just like that.
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### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/16 "2006-10-10T00:11:58Z")
_Sigh_ I got bad information. But it could be a grackle…but let’s face it’s probably a starling.
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### Author:  [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2006, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/17 "2006-10-10T00:13:58Z")
Another nice pic, sure the moving bird is blurry but you still captured drops of water flying through the air. What camera were you using?
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/18 "2006-10-10T02:13:52Z")
My canon eos 30 d
I was originally playing with different shutter speeds on fountains. Fast to catch the drops or really slow to have the sprays be blurred. Then I happend upon the birdies, drinking and bathing. They don’t stand still or take direction well but I was able to basically walk up pretty close to them.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/19 "2006-10-10T03:50:59Z")
Definitely a starling, which make great pets and talk better than most parrots. (BTW, isn’t this a pretty standard GQ-type question? You’da got confirmation from our resident ornithologist, Colibri, by now; he hangs out mostly in GQ.)
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2006, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smile-for-the-birdie-what-kind-of-bird-is-this/375769/20 "2006-10-10T06:12:45Z")
Yeah I guess it is, but it’s a pretty simple question and I mostly wanted to show off the photo.
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