STURNUS.
Wings long and pointed, rst primary small but visible; bill wide, flat and straight ; gregarious birds of metallic plumage ; food, worms, insects, larvie, etc. ; nest in holes in trees, walls, or cliffs ; eggs greenish blue.
Sturnus vulgaris vulgaris L. STARLING. Fr. Etourneau ; Ger. Star ; Pa/. Storno ; Swed. Stare.
,S 9 summer. Black with metallic reflections of purple or green or steel blue, generally with a few buff apical spots ; head and neck dark green with or without purple reflections ; ear coverts green ; under wing coverts brown with buff margins ; flanks purple. In winter, plumage above spotted with buff and below with white tips. Bill yellow in summer, dark brown in winter. Legs and feet red brown. Wing 125-137, 9 123-131. Tarsus 28-3o. Bill 2o-24. Young ; brown, throat and streaks on underparts white, margins of quills and tail rufous.
.Breeds.—Europe, including British Isles, from N. Norway and about in Russia to Pyrenees and Italy. Partial migrant ; occurs in winter south to Spain, Portugal, Madeira, Canaries, and all N. Africa from Morocco to Egypt.
S. vulgaris faroensis Fielden, Larger ; 1st primary longer and broader, wing and tail somewhat longer, bill larger. Wing 133-134. Bill 24-25. Young are darker, less marked with white below.
Resident.—Faroe Islands.
S. vulgaris zetlandicus Hartert. Nearer "faroensis" than "vulgaris"; young distinctly darker than in "vulgaris"; bill not so broad and long as in "faroensis" but broader than in "vulgaris"; 1st primary not so broad as in. "faroensis." Wing 13t-138 (H.).
Residenf.—Shetland Isles.
S. vulgaris granti Hartert. 1st primary 10-13 m.m. long, generally about 2 m.m. shorter than in "vulgaris." Bill averages smaller.
Resident.— Azo res.
S. vulgaris sophia3 Bianchi. Head more purplish, especially on crown and throat ; ear coverts greenish.
/Ireca's.—East Russia, Moscow to Urals. Occurs Caucasus on passage, and in winter Cyprus and Egypt.
S. vulgaris balcanicus Buturlin and Harms. Crown and ear coverts purple, latter occasionally green ; hind neck, upper back and upper tail coverts green, lower back and rump green to purplish blue ; edges to wing coverts, secondaries and scapulars bluish purple or violet ; throat, breast and abdomen purple ; under wing coverts as in "vulgar's." Resembles "poltaratskyi"
of W. Asia, but under wing coverts and axillaries have narrower buff margins.
Breeds.—Bulgaria and Rumania to Dniester.
S. vulgaris grmeus Tschusi. Head and neck purple with slight green reflections ; ear coverts varying purple to green ; back, rump and upper tail coverts green with purplish tinge on upper back ; breast and abdomen green, flanks purple ; wing coverts and secondaries purple with green reflections. Very close to and doubtfully separable from " sophi." Breeds.—Greece. Migrates ; has occurred at Malta.
S. vulgaris tauricus Buturlin. Scapulars, upper wing coverts, rump and upper tail coverts reddish purple, back deep green and sometimes tinged purple ; head and throat green, sometimes with purple tinge ; underparts purple ; flanks purplish bronze. Wing 141-142. Like "purpurascens" of Asia Minor, but wing longer.
Breeds.— Crimea.
S. vulgaris caucasicus Lorenz. Head green generally with purple reflections ; ear coverts green, breast green, abdomen steely purple, back and scapulars green, wing coverts brilliant purple, also flanks and secondaries ; under wing coverts grey with white margins.
Breeds.—Caucasus to Persia.
S. vulgaris poltaratskyi Finsch. Under wing coverts brown with broader buff margins than in "vulgaris" ; head, throat and ear coverts purple ; back metallic green.
A Siberian race which occurs in Egypt in winter.
a summer. Black with purple and green reflections, feathers long and lanceolate, no spots. In winter, spotted with small arrow - shaped white dots. Bill in summer yellow, greyish at base ; in winter blackish. Legs and feet brownish flesh. Wing 127-135. Tarsus 29-30. Bill 25-26. 9 like e but smaller ; wing down to 13I. Young much as in "S. vulgaris " but darker.
Portugal, Morocco, Algeria, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica.