Perching Birds. 



Alpine regions to 

 Central Asia and 

 N orthern China. 

 One specimen has 

 been recorded from 

 England, having 

 been obtained in 

 Oxfordshire, but 

 the bird may pro- 

 bably have been 

 an individual which 

 had escaped from 

 confinement. 



THE STARLINGS. 

 Family STURNIDM. 



The Alpine Chough. 



The Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Our Starling is the typical 

 representative of a family of birds which is widel}' distributed over the old world. 

 They are allied to the Crows in many respects, and, like the latter birds, thev walk, 

 instead of hopping, like Thrushes or Finches. They further differ from Crows in having 

 a distinct winter dress, when their bright plumage becomes obscured by whitish tips to 

 the feathers, which fall off as spring approaches, and leave the burnished colour of the 

 Starling in full perfection. The bill, too, loses its dull colour, and becomes bright 

 yellow. No one, to see a Starling on a lawn, would guess that the bird which appears 



to be entirely of a dull black, is reallv shot with 

 iridescent and metallic shades of bronze and green 

 and purple. In full summer plumage, it is 

 indeed a beautiful bird, and one which does an 

 immense amount of good in the destruction of 

 grubs and wire-worms. In the neighbourhood of 

 towns Starlings are a common feature during 

 the winter until the early summer, rearing their 

 young under the roofs of houses, or in holes in 

 trees, or old buildings, but, as soon as the young 

 are able to take care of themselves, they disappear 

 for some weeks, and do not reappear until October, 

 visiting, no doubt, the fruit gardens in the 

 country, where they often commit great havoc. 



The Staki-ing. 



The nest is a rough structure of grasses and 

 straws, and has generall)- a peculiar odour, 

 as is the case with hole-breeding Crows, 



