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Rosy Starling

While this may not be a rare bird in some countries, it took me 19 years of birding to see one in Thailand.
I was at the mangrove project in Petburi watching as birds left their roost in the early morning. After thousands of Black Drongo, Asian Pied Starlings and White-vented Mynas had passed my eyes a small and very tight flock of Starlings came out. They perched in a couple of trees for a few minutes before going on to their feeding grounds. The flock consisted mostly of White-shouldered and Chestnut-tailed Starlings.
But something different caught my eye. Some larger and darker looking birds. I tuned in and could see 2 adult and 2 juvenile Rosy Starlings. Yes, another life bird for 2010!

Then just a couple of days back I got wind of another Rosy Starling visiting a smaller garden in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok. I got the man's phone number and he agreed to let me come to his house.

It was a small house in a housing estate. He had a small but lush garden where he had been putting out ripe bananas for awhile. I sat down on a bench and waited.
The man said that the bird had been around for a few months now. When it first arrived it was in a juvenile plumage but now it had started to sing and almost turned into an adult plumage. I had to wait (it was very hot) for about 30 minutes before the bird showed. I had the bird coming in for a couple of minutes twice in the span of 2 and a half hours and this is the result.




Comments

Great pics Peter!
I've yet to see the species in this colourful plumage.
PianoPele said…
Peter! Du har ju ett helt fantastiskt material!!! WOW. Har du gjort någon fågelbok eller något dylikt? Du får gärna adda mig i facebook
http://www.facebook.com/PianoPele

När vi kommer till Thailand nästa gång hoppas jag få skåda med dig.

Hälsningar
Pele
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