# Starlings Genetics



## becege (Mar 12, 2003)

I got a pair of black white bar starlings at a swap meet in April. They have been in a coop by themselves the whole time since I have got them. Their first set of babies has one black like their parents. The other is definetly a deep choclate brown. Both appear to be developing the white chest and wing bar markings. Do starlings come in a brown color? I have never heard of or seen that anywhere. The parents have a wonderful disposition. They are not flighty and don't spook when you go in the coop, are quite tame and curious birds. This was quite a pleasant surprise when compared to my Oriental Rollers. Finally I have read in my research that starlings have some homing ability. Does anyone have any experience in homig starlings or know of someone who does?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

These are starling *pigeons*, not starling *starlings*??? LOL
At first, I thought you meant those little black birds that aren't pigeons.......


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Yep, starling pigeons, I hope. LOL.

They're also called Pheasant pigeons. Anyways, I do believe they can come in other colors besides just your typical black and white.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Also, Starings have the homing instinct (as do all domestic breeds), although I don't think it's safe to take them anywhere. Because they are a color bird, I doubt they have hardly any homing ability at all. 
When they are flying, as long as they can see the loft and yard, they won't get lost.


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## jbangelfish (Mar 22, 2008)

*Yup, they can be brown*



becege said:


> I got a pair of black white bar starlings at a swap meet in April. They have been in a coop by themselves the whole time since I have got them. Their first set of babies has one black like their parents. The other is definetly a deep choclate brown. Both appear to be developing the white chest and wing bar markings. Do starlings come in a brown color? I have never heard of or seen that anywhere. The parents have a wonderful disposition. They are not flighty and don't spook when you go in the coop, are quite tame and curious birds. This was quite a pleasant surprise when compared to my Oriental Rollers. Finally I have read in my research that starlings have some homing ability. Does anyone have any experience in homig starlings or know of someone who does?


Funny, most people will say that starlings are wild and Oriental rollers are tame. All in the bloodline and how they are raised, I suppose, with extra emphasis on how they are raised.

I have a white barred, brown starling, which I had never seen until recently. Most think of them in black or blue or in the pheasant pigeon appearance, which may or may not be exactly the same bird as I've also heard that the Suabian is the true pheasant pigeon. Whether they are all the same or just very similar, I don't know for sure. A brown from a black will be a hen, as this is one of the many sex linked genes, carried by the father.

These birds are all part of the "field pigeon" types from Europe, which apparently were bred to go out and forage for themselves in the fields. They have become show pigeons but their beginnings came from agile flying breeds. Even the muffed "field types" such as Saxon whitetails are very fast in flight and are able to fly great distances to forage for themselves. Many of them tend to be on the wild side even when we raise them as we do our other pigeons. Many of the "German toys" are like this, wild and agile.

This ability to fend for themselves may have created a better than average homing ability, much like feral city pigeons that have to learn to travel great distances for food and water and regularly visit farm fields, many miles from home. Homing pigeons have been bred specifically for this as well as strength and speed but it's all from the same beginnings.

Bill


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## salv (Aug 20, 2013)

*wtb*

am looking for Black white bar Starlings


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## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

salv said:


> am looking for Black white bar Starlings


The thread is from 2009. Try a site just for starling pigeons?


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## naresh j (Jun 27, 2014)

whytpigeon...i think he means starling pigeons.... i got to know about it after reading the thread...at first i thought he is talking about starling birds.


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