What the uninterested overlook !!

[Danny]

I recieved my murmuration of Starlings yesterday and peered into the box with the torch to check they were all ok and immediately noticed that there were two different eye colours - dark brown and pale blue. After an hour on google I found an obscure article in "Ringers and Banders Quarterly" where they confirmed that males (even as fledglings) have dark eyes and females pale blue grey eyes. It stands out like the proverbial hanging part of the dog yet it is not mention in a single field guide or text I can find. It appears up until now, nobody needed to know.

[natamambo]

Danny, we're so glad we've got you. Life is much more interesting with your little snippets .

Perhaps the bird books don't mention it because all they do is copy everyone else's descriptions from the earliest records.

PS - love our word of the day too .

[mattymeischke]

Keenly observed, learned friend, and it is always a happy thing to see the word murmuration used. I hope you publish the eye colour observation somewhere to spare others the search. The only sexing method I knew before was the one you had directed me to, viz: pink mandible in females in breeding condition.

Speaking for the uninterested, I had noticed the different breast feathers (some streaked, some not) but not the eyes. This is no doubt partially because I was not paying close attention (as distinct from disinterested), but also perhaps because I was trying to disturb them as little as possible (wild-caught birds and all of that).

When I handled them, they were busy trying to bite my fingers, and I was busy trying to see the shape of the mandible in hope there may be a sex difference there. Further, having had the last one fly free during transfer to a travel box, I was anxious not to fiddle too long. Little surprise, then, that I missed the difference in eye colour.

Glad you're enjoying them. I would love to see a photo in adult plumage when they've moulted if possible.

mm.

[TomDeGraaff]

This observation is one of the many that we aviculturists can add to the ornithological whole. I reckon so much nesting/breeding/in-nest development data is just so close to our fingertips. I wonder if this eye difference is found in other related species.

Speaking of murmurations and other collective nouns, could we call ouselves a charm of finchos? I don't know if the term is very descriptive !

[Danny]

This observation is one of the many that we aviculturists can add to the ornithological whole. I reckon so much nesting/breeding/in-nest development data is just so close to our fingertips. I wonder if this eye difference is found in other related species.

Speaking of murmurations and other collective nouns, could we call ouselves a charm of finchos? I don't know if the term is very descriptive !

Golden and Amherst pheasants have the same eye colour variation but in the opposite gender (males blue, females brown).
When I did my honours degree on silvereyes, my supervisor (who had worked with the species for 35y) informed that all birds had to be destroyed at the end of the project and dissected to determine gender. I asked why as they were sexually dimorphic - he had never noticed. When I pointed it out, the birds got to live.

I think a 'rabble' of Fincho's is more valid based on the ones I know.

[finchbreeder]

If we were an army of finchos we might get more notice taken of us by the powers that be.
However I think an enthusiasm of finchos describes us better.
LML

[Danny]

Well it worked out very well. My original 3 were all males but the new ones are 5 females, 2 males giving me an even 5 pair.

[Tintola]

Danny, could you elaborate on dimorphism in Silver-eyes please.

[natamambo]

Danny, could you elaborate on dimorphism in Silver-eyes please.

Thanks Tint for asking for all of us .

[casehulsebosch]

Starling - Sturnus vulgaris.

young bird about to fledge. Took this pic recently while shearing the sheep