Starlings

Starling Chicks

I found this trio in a heap of dead leaves under the cabbage trees.  They had apparently fallen from their nest in the tree above.  They were clearly not ready to fledge, and they quickly burrowed into the leaves when I approached.  I watched from a window and saw that two adults were feeding them.  The chicks were very vulnerable to cats and stoats.

For three days they preened themselves, explored the heap of leaves, and exercised their wings.  At the end of this time they were ready to fledge.  The parents took them off to safety. It was a great relief for me.

Starling

Mount Torlesse at 8.16am

Starling in breeding colours

Starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, are common here.  There are 5 or 6 pairs nesting around my house.  They are not a nuisance at all.  They don't make use of the bird feeders, even in very bad weather, and they don't flock.  Only after the chicks have fledged do I see a group of 20 or so.  They spend most of their time grazing in the fields, but they come home at night and roost near their nest sites.  The males have favourite perches where they say their piece.  Their song consists of clicks and squeaks, chortles and gurgles, and fair imitations of lambs bleating, blackbird, bellbird, fantail and a stick being dragged along a picket fence.