A Mystery Bird

[JohnC]

We have a bird feeder next to a pyracantha hedge and in that hedge live about 30 sparrows. I've noticed that one bird that also lives with this flock in the hedge looks like a juvenile starling but today I noticed that it has the back feathers of a sparrow but ,apart from it's size ,beak etc. also  has a spotted chest just like a juvenile starling. Can this possibly be a cross breed ? -I've called it a 'sparling'. Quite regularly starlings will visit this feeder but this one stays with the sparrows in the hedge. Also it exclusively eats the fat balls just like the other starlings.,it doesn't eat the seed like the sparrows do (they also eat the fartballs) What do you think ?

Here's a regular sparrow  and two shots of this 'sparling'  One lets you see the back feathers - exactly like a sparrow in colour and in pattern, the other photo , on  the bird bath, shows the chest- that of a juvenile starling before it gets those purply/green colours of an adult..

[rjgjr]

I'm not a bird officianado John, I'll leave that up to the others. Just wanted to say great images, color and detail!

[markt]

We have alot of starlings in our garden.  I'd say the little fella is going through his moult - somewhere between the first and second images here >>> http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/starling/feathers.asp

[JohnC]

Thanks,Richard. As you liked them so much I'll be naughty and post this one again. I love it !  I don't know whether you saw it first time round.

Thanks,Mark.  It's a starling  after all. I wonder how unusual it is to be living in a hedge with a bunch of sparrows  though ? The sparrows leave it alone but beat each other up and as you see here intimidate one another to get to the seed .Lol.

[rjgjr]

Thanks John, the wing action is incredible. Good catch!

[JohnMurphy]

It certainly looks like a crossbreed between a house sparrow and a starling. Its got a starlings bill and chest speckles, but the shape and typical plumage of a house sparrow. However I have never heard of interbreeding between these before.
Very interesting.

[Padraig OBrien]

I am a member of Birdwatch Ireland atm and i also feed birds in my garden and i honestly can say i have never come across House Sparrows and Starlings interbreeding so its very interesting indeed it could even be a juvenile Mistle or Song Thrush.