Albino Starling at Hampton, Evesham, 2014

Harry Green

On 18 June 2014 Betty and Toby Keane saw a ‘white bird’ in their garden in Hampton Evesham (01). It was a nearly perfect albino Starling in brand new barely worn plumage of a juvenile not long fledged and an albino but for the dark eyes and legs. A picture and note appeared in the Cotswold and Vale Magazine (August 2014 issue 179) and shortly afterwards Anne Jordan also from Hampton reported presumably the same bird with four normally coloured siblings being fed by adults on her lawn (02, 03, 04). The albino was ‘the boss ’demanding food from parents before its siblings. Later in summer both albino and the other juveniles left the gardens and presumably joined other starlings in the usual late summer flocks.

In mid-July Donna Saxton reported a very similar bird perched on a TV aerial in Charlton, about two miles from Hampton. (05). Perhaps the same bird although the quality of the picture was too poor for close comparison (05).

Albino Starlings are not often reported.

Images

01. Albino juvenile starling Hampton, Evesham June 2014. Toby Keane

02. Albino starling fed by parent Hampton, Evesham June 2014. Anne Jordan

03. Albino starling juvenile Hampton, Evesham June 2014. Anne Jordan.

04. Albino starling juvenile with normal siblings Hampton, Evesham June 2014. Anne Jordan

05. Albino starling at Charlton July 2014. Donna Saxton