Winter Starling

A Starling in Winter plumage, from a few months ago

We’ve got a group of Starlings that live around the house. They are here year-round. Usually, at least one pair breeds in a huge Cottonwood tree by the driveway. They are endlessly entertaining, whistling and cackling to themselves.

One of the many things that I like about them is the way the their plumage changes through the year.

During the Spring and Summer, the birds are glossy and iridescent. When they molt in the Fall and Winter, their plumage grows in with white speckles, as in the bird above. The white speckles are from non-melanized feather tips. Melanin darkens the color of feathers. Since the feather tips are non-melanized, the tips are much lighter in color than the rest of the feathers…hence the speckles.

Another effect of melanin is that it makes feathers tougher - the melanized portions of the feathers are more resistant to wear. Since the time I took this photo a few months ago, the bird’s non-melanized white feather tips have worn away, leaving a brilliant, shiny, black bird…no white speckles.

Just in time for the Spring breeding season. Pretty neat.