The uncommon common starling

Four sprightly birds were hopping about the grass on the char, foraging in the foliage. Alert and agile, they looked here and there cautiously as they gobbled up their food. There seemed to be a sense of fear and suspicion in their eyes. Actually that is the natural way they look. Their food consists of seeds, grains, insects, beetles, worms and such.

The young wildlife photographer Timu Hossain spotted these four birds on 4 December while visiting Balaki Char in Narayanganj. He recognised these rare birds and immediately hid himself, crawling cautiously to catch some shots. He was thrilled. This bird is hardly ever seen in Bangladesh.

He was quite sure how quick and sharp these were and was anxious that they might fly away in the blink of an eye. He might never get to see them again!

But he finally managed to catch the birds on camera, in flight and atop a tree.

Though uncommon in Bangladesh, these birds are known as 'common starlings' and in Bangla they are called 'chitra shalik'. They have a varied hue and their colours brighten in winter. These are beautiful birds, with white speckles on the neck and breast, as if painted intricately by an artist. These white speckles enhance the beauty of the birds. In winter the bird's back become buff-brown, feet pink and beak greyish. At other times, during the breeding season, the bird's beak is yellow and beak turns brown. Its beak is longish, pointed and sharp.

The common starling appears in Bangladesh in winter, but that too very rarely. In fact, it is not seen every year. The places where it may be spotted are St Martin's Island, Sandwip, the Sundarban chars and in shoals of Dhaka division.

In Bangladesh these birds are seen in groups of two to four, but in the countries where they breed, they are seen in flocks, big and small, foraging along with other birds.

The common starling's scientific name is Sturnus vulgaris. It is about 20cm in length.

* Sharif Khan is writer on birds and wildlife