European starling baby

Description:

Baby European starlings are characterized by bright yellow mouths. I actually said "my what big yellow lips you have." This baby must have fallen out of its nest but it looked healthy so the mother must have been feeding it. Hope so! Adult starlings have small white spots on their feathers in the winter, and in the summer they develop a gorgeous iridescent sheen with purple and green hues. Adult starlings have yellow beaks.

Habitat:

This baby starling was spotted at a rest stop under a tree along interstate 80 in Illinois.

Notes:

Interesting fact! European starlings were first introduced to North America in 1890. A flock was set free in Central Park by a group who wanted to introduce all the species mentioned in Shakespeare's plays to North America. Today, our millions of resident starlings are all descended from that same group!