Exploring Pigeon Valley:Black-bellied Starlings

THESE gregarious and talkative birds increase in numbers in Pigeon Valley in winter.

With their iridescent sheen and yellow eye-ring, they are attractive; in the evening they gather in the centre of the reserve, chattering loudly together.

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However, they move freely around the area foraging for food, favouring the fruit of various trees, while lizards, insects and frogs can also be taken.

They will often arrive as a group at the birdbath on my patio, peering anxiously to see if it is safe, and calling softly to each other.

There are also in the area their relatives limited numbers of Cape (Glossy) Starlings breeding at the reserve, as well as the large numbers of Red-winged Starlings that move through the area.

In this photo, a group had suddenly arrived at a richly fruiting White Pear (Apodytes dimidiata) at the reservoir this last weekend.

I was intrigued at what the photo had captured – a bird either about to drop a berry or throwing it up before swallowing it, while another watched on in interest.

Crispin Hemson chairs the Friends of Pigeon Valley, a group that undertakes clearing of alien plants, keeps records of bird and mammal sightings and alerts management to any problems.

The Friends have a monthly walk at 7.30am on the second Saturday of each month. Email: friendsofpigeonvalley1@gmail.com.

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