The Red-billed Starling is a starling of southeastern China, and you won't find it in the wild in the US. Males are easy to pick out, with a pale cream head, a gray body, and a red bill tipped in black.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About 9–10 in (23–26 cm) long. The male has a creamy head, pale gray back and breast, glossy blue-black wings, and orange legs. The bill is red with a dark tip. Females are duller and browner. Both show a white patch at the base of the wing in flight, larger on males.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Open farmland
- Fishponds and marshes
- Villages
- Range
- Native to southeastern China, with some birds wintering in northern Vietnam. Small numbers also reach Korea and Japan. It does not occur in the US.
- Preferred conditions
- Prefers open lowlands with scattered trees for shelter and roosting, often near water.
Behavior
- Diet
- Eats insects, fruit, flower petals, and nectar, and often feeds on the ground.
- Social life
- Gathers in large, noisy flocks and roosts together in big trees.
Life cycle
- Nest
- Nests in cavities, including tree holes and gaps in buildings.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
More species to explore
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