Between Generations
The veteran starling turns toward its younger companion, their silhouettes painted against autumn's liquid gold. This isn't just coincidence - it's education in progress.

Starlings are brilliant mimics, capable of learning over 20 different bird calls plus human sounds. The speckled adult is likely teaching territory boundaries, food sources, and survival strategies. That gorgeous iridescent plumage? It's earned through experience - younger birds start with duller, brown feathers before developing their full metallic sheen.

Here's what most people miss: starlings are incredible athletes. They can fly in murmurations of millions without a single collision, each bird processing information from seven neighbors simultaneously. Each small brain contains a navigation system that would make GPS jealous.

As the Romanian countryside settles into evening, these two carry on an ancient tradition - knowledge passed wing to wing, generation to generation.