Leucistic juvenile Starling

Phil Jackman forwarded these images of a leucistic juvenile Starling present in his Kettering garden this weekend. While generally uncommon, leucism (really a lower concentration of melanin) in juvenile Starlings has been recorded on numerous occasions and invites confusion with juvenile Rose-coloured Starling which, however, has a largely yellow bill (especially at the base) and pale lores.

Leucistic juvenile Starling, Kettering, 5th July 2014 (Phil Jackman)
Leucistic juvenile Starling, Kettering, 5th July 2014 (Phil Jackman)

Also, this individual has already begun its post-juvenile moult, which commences with the wing feathers – in this case all the juvenile greater coverts, except the outer two, have been replaced.

Leucistic juvenile Starling, Kettering, 5th July 2014 (Phil Jackman)
Leucistic juvenile Starling, Kettering, 5th July 2014 (Phil Jackman)

This feather tract is again different to the equivalent plainer feathers of Rose-coloured. It’s interesting that these first-winter feathers are apparently normal, suggesting the bird’s leucism (lack of melanin) is age-related.

Many thanks to Phil for the images of this interesting bird.

4 thoughts on “Leucistic juvenile Starling

  1. Pretty sure I snapped a very low-quality photo if this guy in my garden, or at-least one with very similar markings.

  2. Hi I’m not from your area but was wondering if you would be interested in pics I have of must been parent starling as it visited all of last winter and I seen it nested near neighbours houses this year. And now one of the offspring visiting and two colours are class different sadly parent hasn’t came back or I would seen it flying about thinking it’s came to the end of killed.

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