Appearance:

Similar to Starling, and may be difficult to tell apart in winter and immature plumages. Most birds are in breeding plumage from March on, completely lacking spots, and with a purple (not green) sheen. Flight feathers lacks pale fringes, and the overall look is much darker than Starling. Elongated head and throat feathers are slightly longer than in Starling. Winter and immature plumage birds difficult to identify, but has small and spearhead-shaped spots, and darker wings (due to lack of pale fringes). Leg colour generally paler pink, than Starling, but some overlap occurs.

Sound:

Similar to Starling in form and variation, but the long, descending whistling notes are more dominant and accented. Sometimes uttered as trills, or "stuttered". Whistles also used as contact calls when not breeding.

Song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Espen Quinto-Ashman, Licence,Link.

CC-Photo:Helen Commandeur, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Europe's biggest raptor. All dark vulture with short, wedge-shaped tail and very long and broad wings. Legs pale, and usually readily visible. May resemble White-tailed Eagle or Greater Spotted Eagle at distance, but note short neck, less protruding head, even longer and broader wings, and shorter tail. Under wing-coverts darker than flight-feathers. Trailing edge of wing fairly straight compared to S-shaped edge in Griffon Vulture, making the overall wing-shape more squarish. This is most obvious when soaring on stretched wings. Soars with wings leveled, not raised, often with hand lowered. Frequently raises tail just before landing.

Sound:

Voice little used but varied. Grunts,croaking, mewing, hissing etc. heard when breeding or feeding at carcasses.

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC