


4678993 / 5565753
Starling
Bird of the Year
In general, male and female starlings look very much alike. In spring, starlings assume their nuptial plumage, in autumn, after moulting, they wear their eclipse plumage. The nuptial plumage of spring consists of black feathers that have a green, blue and violet metallic sheen. Females then have bright spots on the upper side of the feathers. Both sexes have a yellow bill with a light blue base for the males and a reddish one for the females. Details of this plumage can be recognised especially clearly in this starling in the NABU Bird Protection Centre in Mössingen. It has a bill injury which is being treated here before it is released again. The starling has a length of about 20 centimetres. It is between a parrow and a blackbird in size. It could be mistaken for a blackbird male at the most. But blackbirds have no shining plumage and, moreover, a longer tail. Its almost triangular wings are rather short compared with birds of a similar size. As short-distance or medium-distance migrants, starlings do not have to cover long distances. Their wings are broad since they mostly inhabit the open countryside. Compared to them, blackbirds have longer and narrower wings with which they can fly better in the dense forest. Starlings fly with rapid and strong wing beats. Gliding flight is used before landing.
Play trailer

Curriculum-centred and oriented towards educational standards
Matching
Podcasting
Today, the use of new media has become a matter of course not only in everyday life – schools and teaching, too, benefit from the new technologies and methods, which support active and independent learning. Especially in computer science, ethics and language courses but also in all other subjects, modern media are a valuable pedagogic and didactic asset. This DVD uses the example of podcasts to demonstrate how the possibilities opened up by new media can be applied in the classroom and how the pupils can be taught to handle them in a competent and target-oriented manner. The film is aimed at supporting the use of podcasts at school and encourages making them. This also requires the ability to find information on the Internet and assess it. The film informs on the functionality of podcasts and technical background as well as on the teaching and learning possibilities offered by podcasts – ranging from specific contents to superordinate learning targets such as the advancement of creativity and team spirit. The DVD is a useful support for teachers applying new media and wishing to show their pupils how to handle Running Time: 20:29 ms them in a sensible way.