Albino Starling, possibly. (1 Viewer)

While out walking with my friend this evening, a flock of startled starlings (oooh, alliteration, lol) flew up from the long corn in the field. One of them stood out, I think it ay have been albino- I know they are greyish when they're young but it seemed much more striking than that, totally at odds with all the other birds. It seemed slightly yellowish even, which really surprised me. I wish I'd had my binoculars with me to get a closer look, but it wasn't a birding outing. I already keep carrying my camera around with me 'just in case' there's any nature to photo!

OOh er.. sounds a little like a juv Rose-coloured Starling... though perhaps a little too early for a Juv to be about unless they are breeding locally

Jane Turner said:

OOh er.. sounds a little like a juv Rose-coloured Starling... though perhaps a little too early for a Juv to be about unless they are breeding locally

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Could be albinistic vulgaris, but if it was yellowish, it could even be leucistic. I've seen this in birds before.

Most probably a leucistic starling, I suppose, but I don't know that juv Rose-coloured Starling is altogether out of the question. A year or two back I found a juv at Lodmoor at the end of June. I thought that was remarkably early, but on checking up I found there were one or two earlier juvs on record. Can't recall the details I'm afraid and I'm at work at the mo so can't check my books.