Strange Edinburgh sighting

[roslin_man]

Hi there
Tried to identify a bird I saw today in Edinburgh I've never seen before, with no luck on the internet tonight. Can anyone help? Looked like a Starling, but had a shock white head with yellow/apricot pointed beak. Feathers on back and tail white and black with long white, vertical streaks down tail feathers. Anybody recognise this? I and my two colleagues had never seen this before.
Cheers
Roslin_Man

[john robinson]

Roslin
Hi- There are quite a few variations in plumage often on birds which are normally black all over. A good example is the blackbird. They sometimes have white heads and white streaked feathers.
That's all I can think of. The size is a bout right and the bill colour is right.
Can't think of anything else.
Cheers
JohnR

[AndyB]

some sort of partial albino eithe startling or blackbird is likely but could also be an escaped exotic eg white-cheeked starling (http://www.hkbws.org.hk/phpBB2/files/white_cheeked_starling_166.jpg) another photo here (http://www.birdingintaiwan.org/gallery/pen%20shing/gallery%202/White-cheeked%20Starling1.jpg)?