Which bird is described as weighing about 3 oz, appearing chunky and humpbacked, dark with light speckles in winter and glossy purplish black and green in summer, with yellow bills from January to June, and flocks that can number into thousands?

• A. Pigeon
• B. Starling
• C. Canada Goose
• D. Crow

Answer: (B)

The features described point to the starling. At about 3 ounces, it’s a small, chunky bird with a curved silhouette that can look humpbacked in flight. In winter its plumage is dark with light speckles, and in summer it becomes glossy purplish black with a greenish iridescence. The bill is yellow for much of the year, including January through June, which helps differentiate it from other birds. And on top of that, starlings form very large flocks, sometimes numbering in the thousands, which matches the described behavior.

Pigeons are generally larger and lack the seasonal speckling and iridescent plumage. Canada Geese are much larger and have long necks, not the compact shape described. Crows stay uniformly dark and don’t display the distinctive seasonal color change or iridescence.