Red-billed Starling - December 2, 2012

Red-billed Starling (Silky Starling) Spodiopsar sericeus

  Here's another Chinese bird that was almost never seen in Korea just a decade ago, but has been making inroads on the peninsula. It's listed as a rare migrant to Korea in the Brazil book, but the story goes deeper than that. They've been breeding on Jeju for a few years now, and some may winter in Korea in small numbers. I'm not sure if this one was a late southward migrant (some migrate through nearby Tsushima) or a winter visitor, but it definitely seemed freshly in if I had to guess. It was on its own, and it seemed lethargic and nervous. It was being mobbed by, once again, Brown-eared Bulbuls. Oh, and I found it a short four minute walk from my front door - don't neglect your own patch, folks!