Although closely related to the broadbeak it more nearly resembles their common ancestor, a typical starling.
The Parops lepidorostrus is a basic-looking starling from the coniferous forests of Europe, descended from the common starling. It is the broadbeak's closest living relative, being a totally different creature.
It is only ten centimeters long and lives mainly on insects that it extracts from the bark of trees with its thin beak.