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:

Easily distinguished from Cormorant in breeding plumage, but at other times easily confused with congeners. Smaller than Cormorant, with a more slender neck and rounded head. Bill slender and straight. Steep forehead with peaked front crown, differs from the wedge shaped head of Cormorant. Bill often with yellow tinge (never in Cormorant). Flies with quicker wing-beats and straight neck (Cormorant with bulge). Often dives with a high jump. Juveniles with darker underparts than Cormorant, and often an obvious brownish tinge. Rare in brackish water.

Sound:

Very deep and harsh voice heard at breeding ground. Deep grunts alternated, or ended with clicking sounds.

Social interaction:

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

Sounds:www.xeno-canto.org,Jens Kirkeby,http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/