Spotless Starling
Sturdus unicolor
The Spotless Starling is essentially a resident bird, with colonial habits and associated with a wide range of wooded habitats, agricultural and urban areas. During the cold season the Spotless Starlings form numerous flocks, easily detectable at the end of the day when the birds return to their dormitories.
The scientific name of the species is quite objective: Sturnus is the Latin word for Starling; unicolor alludes to the fact that its plumage is uniformly black during the breeding season, a trait that distinguishes the Spotless Starling from the Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris).
Text: João E. Rabaça