Bird Watch: Spot-winged starling common in Chandigarh’s well-wooded areas

Spot-winged starling (Saroglossa spilopetra) is fairly common in broadleaf forests and well-wooded areas of Inter-State Chandigarh Region (ISCR). Its overall size is 19cm.

Small groups are seen guzzling nectar from blossoms of trees such as the Indian Silk cotton.

Though the male and female of the species differ in appearance, a white spot on wings and white iris are visible on both sexes. The male bird has a black mask with a chestnut throat along with grey scalloped upper parts. The female has dull brown upper parts and whitish underparts having brownish-grey streaking.

The bird breeds in northern India and western Nepal from April to June and will fly towards northeast India during the winter.