Skip to main content

Give the Gift of FeederWatch.. Purchase a gift certificate for your recipient in the U.S. or a Birds Canada membership in Canada.

×

Photo Submission

Submitted By

Nancy Lloyd

Fox River Grove, IL, United States

Description

European Starling with white tail feathers shown feeding on a suet cage with a normal European Starling.

Category

White-Tailed Starling

White-Tailed Starling

41 replies on “White-Tailed Starling”

Julie gray says:

Hi!! I have just seen a starling in my garden with a white tail is this rare as I have never seen one before

Mary Ann Hotz says:

Just saw one on the ground in yard where I threw out some breadsticks yesterday. Looked very much like a starling except for brilliant white top tail feathers. Tail feathers appeared about twice as long as typical starling. It flew up into a tree when I went out to attempt picture, which unfortunately I did not get before it flew off. I am in NW Ohio.

Michael Burnett says:

I am in North West England and a white hotel tailed Starling visits my bird table each day.

Sandy Erven says:

I just had one eating at my feeder. We’re in Mckean PA 16426, just outside of Erie. At first I thought it was paint, but not so. Beautiful!!!

Mark says:

Just saw one foraging out front. I went straight away to google to see if it’s an anomaly. Glad to see that others have seen it too. Grosse Pointe, MI.

J. Jones says:

Have had one by my bird feeder for a couple hours. Did not take o photo. Coleman, MI

Dorothy Howarth says:

I saw my first one this morning, only one of its tail feathers is white though.I am in Shetland UK.

Matt. Atkinson says:

Had a white tail starling on my suet feeder yesterday in SE England. Looked a little larger than the other starlings around, and the lower half of its body behind the wings and tail were brilliant white, tail was twice the length of normal starlings as well. Is this a cross-breed? There is a very large magpie presence in this area too, does cross breeding occur?

Jessica says:

I believe I saw one today too. It was easily noticeable in the midst of the rest of the starlings that visit my suet feeder. Very awesome! ^_^°

Ron Williams says:

We have had a white tailed startling in our feeders for 3 days. First time ever in Waukee Iowa

Darlene Davis says:

Definitely saw one on the ground by my feeder. In Mantua, Ohio

Paul says:

July 21 2018 Just seen a white tailed starling feeding in my garden Leighton buzzard Bedfordshire I thought it was rare but after checking on the internet I found that they have been spotted all over the UK

Hi live in Aylesbury
Had a white tailed starling in our garden feeding for about an hour beautiful site not the first time my husband saw it the other day as well .

I have just seen a starling with a white tail on my tree in my garden not seen one before i live in north yorkshire are they common ?

Holly Faulkner, Project Assistant says:

Hi Teresa, Occasionally a bird will lose feathers in a close call with a predator. When this happens the new feathers sometimes grow in white and then change back to the normal color at the next regular molt.

Mark says:

Full white tail on otherwise common looking starling in Louisville, Kentucky today. Feeding on the lawn with others starlings, doves and robins.

Lisa Marie says:

Just had a white tailed Starling at my feeder 5/19/19

I’ve been seeing what appear to be starlings with white tail feathers flying around in our soybean fields, probably eating insects.

kathy says:

white tailed starling at our feeder in northwest reno today

Michelle Pane says:

Saw what I think is a white tail starling today. Didn’t know they existed! I got a pic.

Debs says:

We have white tailed starling

Libby says:

First time ever white tailed starling in Northeast Michigan! It looks like a weird evolutionary blip – a regular starling in ever other way, with long, solid white tail feathers sticking out prominently! 🙂

Joanne says:

We have a starling with long white tail feathers visiting our garden Chesterfield, Derbyshire in the UK. They’re so white I thought it had something stuck to it the first time I spotted it, but got a proper view today and it’s definitely the feathers.

May says:

I have a white tailed starling singing dramatically at the top of my pine tree. I had to record its singing into an app to learn what it was. I didnt know they could have white tails, this is my first sighting of it. I played its song back to it and it went nuts after, haha. Confirmed. South western Ontario, a day before spring !

Mary and Brian Ford says:

white tailed large starling. Blenheim On. seen this bird 4 times this spring.

Tonya says:

I saw one this morning in my back yard eating my piece of bread they had one feather that was all White It flew off before I could take a picture of it. In Battle Creek Michigan

Debbie Smith says:

Just seen a starling with white tail feathers at my feeder this morning – had to look twice, first time ever seen one! I’m near Diss in Norfolk, UK. Hope may see it again

Pixxcoder says:

I think there are several breads of this birds, I saw them in different Colors

Paul says:

We live in St Louis Mo. suburbs and have one with the whole tail whie…really likes our suet feeder!

Paul state says:

First one for me to see white tail starling south central colorado looks like one feather 12/17/22

JHill says:

A white tailed Starling has been visiting my garden feeders since we had a terrible blizzard a week ago. The poor bird has a broken leg dangling from its body and holds its wing back but can eat and fly. I notice it has a white tail! Never seen one like that before. Very interesting!! I live in Fargo, ND

Donna says:

I live in southeast Michigan. This spring we have had a white tailed starling. At our bird feeder. We have never seen one before. Why does this occur ?

Heidi Faulkner, Project Assistant says:

Hi Donna, thanks for reaching out! You can learn more about why birds have unusual plummage or deformities on our Unusual Birds page here.

Susan says:

I just saw a starling with two white tail feathers it is the only one here. All the rest are regular black starlings. It appears they are common on the east coast and England. I a in north eastern Colorado

John Dayton says:

Oak Lawn Illinois. Southwest suburb Chicago. Run three bird baths. One heated in winter. Last few weeks a Starling with white tail feathers has visited my yard. Never seen one before.

Cynthia clettenberg says:

Just saw a white tailed Starling feeding in my yard. I’m very familiar with these birds, I raised two hatchlings a few years ago. Walland Tennessee (East Tennessee).

Cynthia clettenberg says:

I also have a sparrow that lives in my yard with a long thick hooked beak that looks like an elephant! It’s thriving! I watch it eat at my feeder and uses it’s beak like a scoop. We named him Beaker.

We have had a White tailed starling all summer long that visits our feeder. Located in Dayton Ohio. His entire tail is white not just a few.

Elizabeth Schurwan says:

White tailed starling just now at our feeder in St. Louis. April 3 2024

Nature Lover says:

April, 2024. I see a white tailed starling in my back yard regularly. I am in Toledo Ohio.

Angi Ignarski says:

We just had one feeding with other starlings and red-winged blackbirds. Those white feathers are only on top of the tail and seem longer than the others’ tails. Very cool to see. Morgan, WI

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Explore

Recently Liked