A large flock of European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) was foraging in the trees at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last Friday. Initially I thought that this might be a flock of crows or red-winged blackbirds, but when I zoomed in on the birds and saw their mottled iridescent feathers, I immediately identified them as starlings.
I captured these images as the birds feasted on some unidentified berries, plucking and ingesting them one at a time. I was hoping to get more shots of these birds, but without any visible warning, they all took off at the same time and flew away.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
While I’m not a fan of the starlings’ gluttony at my bird feeders, they are a beautiful bird when the sun hits the iridescent feathers and you captured it perfectly. I’ve never seen as beautiful a photo of them before. Thank you.
beautiful bird.. very nice,
I like how the pattern of the berries is reflected in the pattern of the feathers.
The fall leaves against the sunny blue sky make a perfect backdrop to accentuate their beauty in this light!!
I know a lot of people dislike starlings but they really are attractive birds I think.
I too find starlings to be quite beautiful. Starlings were reportedly introduced into the US in the late 19th century from Europe, so they have been here for quite some time. Some folks argue that the starlings can dominate “native” species of songbirds, which may be true, but I try to avoid making moralistic judgements about the behavior of the subjects that I photograph.
I agree. I am not remotely an expert in ecology and how invasive species – especially embedded ones – impact their ecosystems and what, if anything, should be done about them.
Nor am I a gardener or farmer, so I find some agricultural pests to be beautiful and wees to be merely “unloved flowers.” 🙂
Weeds and wildflowers tend to be my favourites and I appreciate how scrappy and tenacious they are.
I love starlings’ tweed suits. I used to think they were black birds. But they aren’t black at all.
I think our perception of the color of starlings depends a lot on the light–abundant, direct light reveals the iridescent colors and the patterns of this handsome bird that many consider to be a nuisance.
How fortunate you are to have these birds close at hand. Here in the UK they are much rarer than they were when I was growing up.
I consider starlings to be some quite beautiful, but some folks here in the US consider them to be an invasive species that is a nuisance. The starlings were reportedly introduced into the US from Europe in the late 19th century and their numbers have grown ever since. I don’t see them all that often, but when I do, they tend to be part of a large flock.