45 beautiful images of the Brahminy starling bird (Sturnus pagodarum) with a hat on its head looking like an elegant and charming gentleman
Brahminy startlings (Sturnia pagodarum) are common across India. Even in cities, if you look for quiet tree-filled zones, you will eventually come across a flock of these quick and chirpy birds. They nest in hollows in trees, defending their choice not only from others of their species, but also from sparrows and mynas.
By November, when this photo was taken, the young are fledged. This flock was busily looking for insects, but the birds feed on fruits too, and, sometimes, on nectar. Their geographical range is usually said to be India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. But I saw that reports of sightings have come from the Arabian littoral, as far into the gulf as Kuwait.
Similarly I see records of scattered sightings across continental south-east Asia. It is possible that this bird ranges further afield than is definitely known.
There aren’t many places on WordPress where bird watchers can share posts. If you post any photos of birds this week (starting today and up to next Monday), it would be great if you could leave a link in the comments, or a pingback, for others to follow.
You don’t have to post a recent photo, nor do you have to post a photo of the same bird as mine. It would be helpful to give as much information as you can, for example which bird it is, where and when you saw the bird, any behaviour you found interesting, or anything else you wish. You might consider using the tag “Bird of the Week” to help others search for old posts. I hope you’ve had the time to look at what others have added in this week and earlier.
