Rose-coloured Starling

Andrew Chick · **Posted:** Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:10 am

Rose-coloured Starling at the back of No 95 Victoria St Mablethorpe for the last 10 days.

Image Copyright of Roy Harvey see http://www.lincsbirds.co.uk/album/displ ... um=1&pos=0 for details

Andrew Chick · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2008 4:16 pm

FYI - http://www.louthleader.co.uk/mablethorp ... 4239654.jp

Andrew

Bernard Dodd · **Joined:** Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:18 am **Posts:** 18

I notice the lovely photo of the Rose-coloured Starling and wonder if this pretty bird is seen very often in the UK anymore, I myself having never seen one.
The reason I ask is that in my late father's 1930 'British Birds' though described as a erratic casual visitor it is listed in the 'normal' section of the book taking a full two pages and not listed in the rare birds section.
I then see in my Field Guide of Britain and Europe printed in the early 1990s it is listed as rarely venturing west from the Balkan area of Eastern Europe.
I now notice in a 2005 book [ albeit a rather cheap version] I have of Britain's birds it is not even mentioned.
Is Climate Change having a opposite effect here?
Bernard

Roy Harvey · **Joined:** Thu Dec 30, 2004 10:23 pm **Posts:** 956

Hello Bernard,
I think it is fair to say that the Rosy Starling is still an erratic and casual visitor to Britain,
however, they are seen here annually; some years there may be quite a lot and other years just a few. I do not believe that global warming is affecting the numbers that turn up here.
I agree that the adults are most attractive birds I hope that you soon get the chance to see one!

Roy.

Alex Lees · **Posted:** Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:28 am

The periodic irruptions of Rose-coloured Starling are driven by drought and hence variation in the availability of their preferred prey species - grasshoppers and locusts. These irruptions typically start in spring and early summer, when birds return from their Indian wintering areas and find that their food supply has failed. The largest irruptions into Western Europe occured in 1853, 1907-1909, 1925, 1932 and 1948 and 2002. During these irruptions the species often settles down to breed in huge numbers in Eastern Europe. Most spectacularly of all, in 1875, 6000-7000 pairs nested in the ramparts of a castle in northern Italy; yet this species was unrecorded in the entire country for the following 33 years!

Alex

The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Rose-coloured Starling

Who is online