Alternative names: Gray Starling, Grey Starling, Ashy Starling.;Sturnus cineraceus
Identification
9.5" (24 cm.) Sexes similar. Head and throat black with white grizzling, the latter concentrated in white cheek patches; back, lower breast and belly dark grey; wings dark grey with blackish primaries, a narrow white wing-bar on secondaries; vent and rump white, the latter noticeable in flight; tail blackish-grey, with white tips on outer feathers. Female a bit paler and duller coloured. Bill yellow with a black tip, feet orange. Juvenile head grey with white cheeks and throat.
Distribution
Siberia south through China and Japan to N Indochina, N Myanmar, and the Philippines. Breeds in N and E China and Japan, winters further south.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Prefers open country and cultivated areas with scattered trees.
Behaviour
Voice: A creaky chir-chir-chay-cheet-cheet.
Forages in flocks, feeding largely on the ground.