Chestnut-tailed Starling at Anamalais

[Mohan Raj]

This Chestnut-tailed Starling near Valparai in Anamalai Tiger Reserve. There were a flock of 15+ starlings on a Coral tree nearby.

Camera: Panasonic
Model: DMC-FZ28
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/320
Aperture: 5.6

[Mrudul Godbole]

Nice image. The perch and the eye contact is nice. Wish there was some light on the bird. Still to photograph this bird :(.

Some information about the bird from Wikipedia:

The Chestnut-tailed Starling or Grey-headed Myna (Sturnia malabarica) is a member of the starling family of perching birds. It is a resident or partially migratory species found in wooded habitats in India and Southeast Asia. The population in the Western Ghats has a white head and this taxon is sometimes considered a full species.

The adults have a total length of approximately 20 cm (8 in). They have grey upperparts and blackish remiges, but the colour of the remaining plumage depend on the subspecies. In the nominate subspecies and blythii, the underparts (incl. undertail) are rufous, but in nemoricola the underparts are whitish tinged rufous (especially on flanks and crissum). The nominate and nemoricola have a light grey head with whitish streaking (especially on crown and collar region). In blythii, the head and chest are white. All subspecies have white irides and a yellow bill with a pale blue base. The sexes are similar, but juveniles have whitish underparts and just chestnut tips to the tail feathers.

[Priya Vinay]

Rare catch! TFS

Thank you for the info Mrudul.

[Bibhav Behera]

The bird is in the shade. Wish you had got it in the open.

[Praveen Siddannavar]

Nice image,tfs
Mrudul thanks for the info

[Rahul Parekh]

You are lucky Mohan...lovely capture and TFS :)