Although they are scary with their black feathers, the kebo starling or black starling is still the choice of many bird keepers. The easy maintenance process and varied chirps are the reasons people choose this bird, which has the Latin name Acridotheres javanicus.

To eat, all you have to do is provide voer, crickets, Kroto, Hong Kong caterpillars, insects, and fruits like papayas. The types of food that are common and easy to obtain and are not expensive.

This bird got the name kebo starling because it likes to perch on the body of a buffalo and has a mutually beneficial relationship or also called symbiotic mutualism with a buffalo. Where when perched it also looks for and eats lice on the body of the buffalo. The starlings get food while the buffalo’s body is cleansed of pesky fleas. Mutual benefit, right?

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In addition to the black or purple-black color that dominates its entire body, there are white spots on its body feathers that will be clearly visible when it flies. In addition, the tail and tail are also white. Kebo starlings have a medium body size of about 25cm, so they are not troublesome or difficult when kept. This bird can also be recognized by its short crest. It usually lives in small groups of about 4-6 individuals. Finding it is not too difficult because it is widespread in Southeast Asia, East Asia and the archipelago in the western part of Indonesia.

Kebo starlings are intelligent birds because they can be taught or trained to sing and imitate some words spoken by humans. Therefore, the sound of the well-trained Kebo starling is often used as a master voice for other birds. Either directly or by recording it first on a voice recorder.

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The kebo starlings that are raised are mostly males due to their more robust body shape and above all because their voices are more varied so they are more pleasant to listen to. Some people prefer young male starlings because of their fit and healthy physique, shiny coat and of course cheaper price because they have not been trained. Unlike Kebo’s dutifully singing ready-made starlings, which are usually sold at a higher price.

If you plan to keep male and young starlings, here are 15 characteristics of male and young starlings so you can distinguish them from female and old ones. This is necessary if you buy birds in flocks where in a cage there are many birds mixed with males and females. In addition, it is also to prevent mischievous bird sellers from misleading buyers by saying that an old bird is a young bird.

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1. Long round body shape.

The male starling has a larger and longer body shape, so when it is held it feels heavier and fuller. In contrast to the female kebo road whose body is shorter.

2. The cloaca is slightly more prominent

Male starlings have a cloaca, or urinary and fecal drainage, that is noticeably more prominent than the female. This protuberance is cone-shaped and in the area of ​​the cloaca there are fewer hairs than in the female.

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3. The shape of the head looks a bit more square

Another feature that can be noted to distinguish male and female starlings is the shape of their heads. The male starling’s head appears squarer than the female’s, which appears rounded.

4. Longer, thicker and stronger beak

Male starlings can also be recognized by the shape of the bill which is longer, thicker and stronger. In contrast to the female kebo starling whose beak appears shorter and thinner.

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5. More active when moving and talking

The movement of male starlings is also more active than that of females. In the same way, as for the song or song where the male starlings are more active than the female. After we can distinguish between male and female starlings, it does not mean that our work is finished. For those of you who want to get a young male starling, there are the following characteristics to keep in mind so that you can get a pet as desired.

6. Feet are not scaly

Young male starlings can be recognized by their clean or not yet scaly feet. These scales usually grow on adult Kebo starlings.

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7. The color of the feet is young and looks wet

In addition to not having scaly legs, young male starlings are also young or brightly colored and wet looking. If the bird seller claims that the male starling he is selling is young but his feet do not appear wet, then you should be careful, the seller could be lying to you.

8. Clean feet pattern

When buying a Kebo starling, you can also pay attention to the pattern on its feet, whether it is clean or not. If the pattern is clean, the male starling is most likely still young.

9. Short nails

Another thing you can pay attention to when buying a Kebo starling is the toenails. Young male starlings often have short toenails, although this is not absolute because adult male starlings can also have short toenails if their owners diligently clip them.

10. The beak at the base of the mouth looks wet

We can also pay attention to other parts of the body, namely the beak where the young male starling has a wet look, especially at the base of the mouth.

11. Light Color Peak

The beak of a young male starling also appears young, so it can be used as a reference point when purchasing a kebo starling. Don’t make the mistake of buying it to get an adult male starling. Especially those whose health conditions have declined.

12. Not too wild, so easy to tame.

This applies to the great kebo starling in the forest. If you are young, the Kebo starling will be easier to tame. Meanwhile, Kebo starlings found in the forest as adults are more feral and therefore more difficult to breed and train.

13. The body color is more brown, the irises are orange, and the beak and legs are yellow.

The Kebo Starling is known for its black fur with some white stripes on its body. However, young Kebo starlings have a browner coat color than adults. Also, the irises are orange and the beak and legs are yellow.

14. Body posture and posture

Male starlings are still young and have the potential to become good adult starlings and having a good mindset can also be seen in their attitude and posture when they are young. This Kebo Starling stands upright and looks good, so it is worth your purchase.

15. I still can’t Twitter

Young male starlings are generally unable to sing. So how do you determine if you have the gift of being a good songbird? You can notice the sound it makes. Although the young male starling cannot sing yet, it can make a ‘cracking sound’ when its legs are held and its body is moved. If the ‘cracking’ sound is thick, it is very likely that the young kebo starling can be trained to sing well and become a good singing starling as an adult.

Those are some of the characteristics of young male starlings that can be a point of reference for you when buying a kebo starling. By paying attention to these characteristics, it is hoped that you will not buy the wrong one and can get really young and talented male starlings so that they are easier to tame and train and not only waste food.