Common Starling vs European Roller

Sturnus vulgaris comparado com Coracias garrulus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Atributo Common Starling European Roller
Nome científico Sturnus vulgaris Coracias garrulus
Ordem Passeriformes Coraciiformes
Família Sturnidae Coraciidae
Estado de conservação Least Concern Least Concern
Comprimento 21,5 cm (8.5 in) 31,0 cm (12.2 in)
Envergadura 37,0 cm (14.6 in) 66,0 cm (26.0 in)
Peso 78,0 g (2.75 oz) 130,0 g (4.59 oz)
Dieta Omnivorous — insects and larvae (especially leatherjackets), earthworms, fruit, and seeds. Probes soil with open … Large insects, especially beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets. Also takes small reptiles, frogs, and scorpions. Hunts …
Tamanho da postura 4-7 3-6
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Common Starling 21,5 cm
European Roller 31,0 cm
Envergadura
Common Starling 37,0 cm
European Roller 66,0 cm
Peso
Common Starling 78,0 g
European Roller 130,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partilhados

Nenhum

Common Starling only

European Roller only

Common Starling

Open countryside, farmland, parks, and urban areas. Forms enormous communal roosts in winter, especially in urban environments.

European Roller

Warm, dry, open country with scattered trees and nest holes. Breeds in tree cavities, earth banks, and nest boxes.

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Song & Call Comparison

Common Starling

Canto

A complex mimic: rattles, whistles, clicks, and squeaks mixed with imitations of other birds. Song is a continuous medley. Also gives harsh 'scheer' alarm and chattering.

European Roller

Canto

A harsh, grating 'rack-rack' or 'quarrk' in flight. Gives a variety of sharp nasal calls at the nest. Not melodic; primary vocalizations are alarm and contact calls.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Common Starling

Native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. Introduced to North America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

European Roller

Southern and eastern Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Estado de conservação

Least Concern

Common Starling

Least Concern

European Roller

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How to Tell Them Apart

Common Starling

Plumagem

Glossy black plumage with iridescent purple and green sheen in breeding season. Winter plumage shows white spotting. Short tail and pointed wings in flight.

Bico

Long, pointed bill — yellow in breeding season, dark in winter

European Roller

Plumagem

Turquoise-blue head, breast, and tail. Chestnut-brown back. Vivid ultramarine blue and black wing patches visible in flight.

Bico

Short, stout, dark hooked bill

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About These Birds

Common Starling

Estorninho-malhado (Sturnus vulgaris) — 19-22 cm. Distribuído pela Europa e Ásia, introduzido na América do Norte, Austrália e África do Sul. Plumagem negra com reflexo metálico verde e roxo, com pontas brancas no inverno. Voo em bandos enormes (murmuração) é espetáculo notável. Excelente imitador. Omnívoro adaptável a ambientes urbanos e agrícolas.

European Roller

The European roller gets its name from the spectacular rolling and tumbling aerial displays performed by males during courtship. It is the only roller species in Europe and one of the continent's most colorful birds. Declining across much of its western range due to agricultural intensification and habitat loss.

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