Morning Starling

I caught this starling at the very top of a tree just as the sun was coming up.  He was up there basking in the first rays of sunlight.  I didn't blame him for being an opportunist like that.  It was a chilly morning at 21 degrees.

The starling's white spots are a dominate feature in the winter

Starlings, also called European starlings, have an iridescent or metallic sheen.  Their scientific name, Sturnus vulgaris comes from the Latin meaning "starling common".

They are noisy birds, and can take sounds from their environment, even man-made sounds, and incorporate them into their vocal patterns.  This one was pretty quiet as it soaked up all the warmth it could get, and if it had any anything to say, it was probably, "Brrrr!"