Common Starling vs Great Cormorant

Sturnus vulgaris 对比 Phalacrocorax carbo

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Side-by-Side Comparison

属性 Common Starling Great Cormorant
学名 Sturnus vulgaris Phalacrocorax carbo
Passeriformes Suliformes
Sturnidae Phalacrocoracidae
保护状况 Least Concern Least Concern
体长 21.5 cm (8.5 in) 90.0 cm (35.4 in)
翼展 37.0 cm (14.6 in) 145.0 cm (57.1 in)
体重 78.0 g (2.75 oz) 2600.0 g (91.71 oz)
食性 Omnivorous — insects and larvae (especially leatherjackets), earthworms, fruit, and seeds. Probes soil with open … Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. …
产卵数 4-7 1-7
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Common Starling 21.5 cm
Great Cormorant 90.0 cm
翼展
Common Starling 37.0 cm
Great Cormorant 145.0 cm
体重
Common Starling 78.0 g
Great Cormorant 2600.0 g
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Habitat Comparison

共同栖息地

Common Starling only

Great Cormorant only

Common Starling

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

Great Cormorant

Coasts, estuaries, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Nests in colonies in trees, on cliffs, or on the ground.

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Song & Call Comparison

Common Starling

鸣唱

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.

Great Cormorant

鸣唱

Deep, guttural grunts and 'karrr' calls at colonies. Bill-clicking and hissing in threat displays. Silent at sea. Colonial noise can be deafening during the breeding season.

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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.

Great Cormorant

Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.

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保护状况

Least Concern

Common Starling

Least Concern

Great Cormorant

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How to Tell Them Apart

Common Starling

羽毛

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

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

Great Cormorant

羽毛

All black with a bronze-green gloss. White throat patch and white thigh patches in breeding season. Yellow-orange face patch around the bill base.

Long, hooked, dark bill with a yellow gape

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About These Birds

Common Starling

紫翅椋鸟(Sturnus vulgaris)— 原产于欧亚大陆,已引入北美、澳大利亚和南非。具金属光泽的羽毛和白色斑点为特征。能形成壮观的大群(椋鸟旋舞)。

Great Cormorant

The great cormorant is one of the most widespread seabirds in the world. Unlike most waterbirds, cormorants lack fully waterproof plumage, leading to the iconic pose of standing with wings spread open to dry. In Asia, cormorants have been used by fishermen to catch fish for over a thousand years.

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