# General > Birdwatching >  Are these both female blackbirds?

## highlander



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## unicorn

I only see one but I dunno cos it looks like a baby.

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## highlander



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## unicorn

the one on the birdtable looks like a thrush.

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## highlander

Sorry about that unicorn, it took me a few mins to find the other picture, in my bird book, it has a picture of the brown bird as a female blackbird, but what is the other one, it is the same size as a blackbird.

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## unicorn

ooked in my book and now I am confused lol 2nd one blackbird 1st lord knows lol.

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## Seabird

It's difficult to say what bird is in the first picture.
Because you are enlarging your pictures so much, it is causing distortions in the true colours.
Female blackbirds are brown with specs on their chest to varing degrees.
The first pic could be of a juvenile, they are almost as big as their parents when they leave the nest.
It's a pity the birds tail is'nt visible that would have helped.
Smaller images are sometimes better for detail.

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## highlander



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## Kenn

Think the first picture is a juvenile blackbird

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## Kenn

That's a pic I have on file of one

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## Kenn

The second 1 has me stumped..if a yellow beak was obvious then I would say a juvenile male, the eye ring seems right but the beak colour has me stumped.
Could we have some more pictures please?

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## nemosia

Second photo is a juv. starling.

Iain

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## Kenn

Nemosia ..sorry have to disagree a juvenile starling never had a beak like that and even when just fledged they have the irridescence and the speckles of the adult.

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## nemosia

> Nemosia ..sorry have to disagree a juvenile starling never had a beak like that and even when just fledged they have the irridescence and the speckles of the adult.


Hi Lizz,

I don't want to start an arguement with my first post but I think you are mistaken. I've scanned the relevant page from the collins bird guide but don't seem to have permission to post attachments (yet?) so if you have it please check page 341. The bottom left picture displays a juvenile starling. When fledged they are plain brown with none of the speckles or irridescence of the adult. This is obtained at the first moult. 

To quote from Lars Svensson's book 'Identification of European Passerines "Juv. moults to spotted plumage from late June (England) or mid July (Fenno-Scandinavia) to mid-autumn, retaining the *plain brown juv. feathers* longest on head and lower back." The collins bird guide agrees and says in the text "*Juvenile: all dull dirty brown*".

There is nothing wrong with the beak for starling either. The impression is stern faced exactly like a juv. starling.

Two pairs of starlings are nesting in the back wall of my garden at the moment. I will try to get a shot of a juv. when they appear.

Regards,
Iain

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## scrapydoo

> Hi Lizz,
> 
> I don't want to start an arguement with my first post but I think you are mistaken. I've scanned the relevant page from the collins bird guide but don't seem to have permission to post attachments (yet?) so if you have it please check page 341. The bottom left picture displays a juvenile starling. When fledged they are plain brown with none of the speckles or irridescence of the adult. This is obtained at the first moult. 
> 
> To quote from Lars Svensson's book 'Identification of European Passerines "Juv. moults to spotted plumage from late June (England) or mid July (Fenno-Scandinavia) to mid-autumn, retaining the *plain brown juv. feathers* longest on head and lower back." The collins bird guide agrees and says in the text "*Juvenile: all dull dirty brown*".
> 
> There is nothing wrong with the beak for starling either. The impression is stern faced exactly like a juv. starling.
> 
> Two pairs of starlings are nesting in the back wall of my garden at the moment. I will try to get a shot of a juv. when they appear.
> ...


If you sign up withh photobucket you will be able to post attachments
http://www.photobucket.com/

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## nemosia

> If you sign up withh photobucket you will be able to post attachments
> http://www.photobucket.com/


Hi Scrapydoo,

Thanks for the info. I'll set up an account.

Iain

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## may67

Pic is of a baby starling. We have a pair  of babies who sit by my window and squark constantly for 'mum' to give them seed/nuts from my birdtable. They are much better looking than the adult birds!!! ::

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## Rheghead

The photo is of a juv starling, well spotted!

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## kas

A similair photo of a juv starling here. Not taken by me, its from the net.
Well spotted Iain.

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## highlander



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## highlander

Now i am really confused LOL, this pic i got today, and noticed it is completely different than the one on the bird table, i think from what you are describing this maybe the juv starling, but im still learning, thank you all for you info

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## Kenn

nemosia thank you for the correction not thought to do a double take on the juvenile starlings I have here but will do so in the morning. 
I have several bird books but have yet to find one that I could call accurate, if any one knows of one I would be interested.
I often find that a search The RSPB site I can find what I am looking for any other good sites out there?

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## nemosia

> nemosia thank you for the correction not thought to do a double take on the juvenile starlings I have here but will do so in the morning. 
> I have several bird books but have yet to find one that I could call accurate, if any one knows of one I would be interested.
> I often find that a search The RSPB site I can find what I am looking for any other good sites out there?


Hi Lizz,

Sorry its taken so long to reply (blame to football). 




This is from the excellent Collins Bird Guide by Killian Mullarney. Many consider this to be the best field guide available and there is a large format version which does better justice to illustrations.

For many years I've used Lars Jonsson's 'Birds of Europe'. Much of this guide was originally published in five parts in the Penguin Nature Guides series back in 1978. The single volume appeared in 1992 with many new plates (140 in fact) and I still love the way Lars captures the character of the birds.

Cheers
Iain

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## Fran

i think your picture of the bird on the bird table is a young female blackbird, like the young one i have left in my ivy. both parents are blackbirds.

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