Fifty Common Birds of China 



(8) GREY STARLING (Fig. lo) 

 Spodlopsar cineroxem. Length 8^ inches. 



Bill orange at base, ^jlack at tip. Tarsi orange. 

 Plumage. Crown glossy l^ack, feathers fine and silky. White streaks 



on forehead. Around eyes and auriculars (ear feathers) heavily streaked 

 with white. Entire upper parts and wing coverts brownishgrey. Wing 

 primaries and tail quills dark grey to almost black. Rump white. Under 

 parts dark grey, abdomen and under tail covert^ white. Female like male, 

 but showing less irridescence iq the black areas. 



Chara|eristics. Abundfi^nt after late fall and during winter on the 

 plains, feeding on berries of trees and the hard white fruits of the 

 talllow tree. The birds assemble in large numbers feeding on the trees 

 or on the ground. Often seen feeding in company with the crested and 

 black-necked mynas. 



M- 



Distrib|.tion. From Mongolia to south Chfina, migrating in the 



North. 



Nests and Eggs. Nests in holes in trees in Mongolia, rarely in 

 North and Central China. 



(8) K tl A (I^ + ii) 



^p :? ^ ^ a ^ e^ a ^ ffi ft • it fi'j ^ -E t!5 5FP s s ^ ^ Ii :?^ fe • K- ^ 



(33) 



