The members of the bird genus Lamprotornis are large, glossy starlings which occur naturally in Africa south of the Sahara.
They inhabit a variety of habitats – from forests to open woodland and gardens. All, except the Shelley’s Starlings – are resident (non-migratory), except for some seasonal or local movement.
Most species are sociable, typically seen with other birds outside the breeding season.
Description
The plumage above is glossy blue or green.
The under parts may be blue, purple, yellow or brown.
Most have yellow or red irises. Some have long tails
Species in taxonomic order
- Cape Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis nitens
- Greater Blue-eared Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis chalybaeus
- Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis chloropterus
- Southern Blue-eared Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis elisabeth
- Bronze-tailed Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis chalcurus
- Splendid Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis splendidus
- Principe Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis ornatus
- Purple Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis purpureus
- Rueppell’s Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis purpuroptera
- Long-tailed Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis caudatus
- Meves’ Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis mevesii
- Burchell’s Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis australis
- Sharp-tailed Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis acuticaudus: Found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia.
- Superb Starling, Lamprotornis superbus
- Hildebrandt’s Starling, Lamprotornis hildebrandti
Shelley’s Starling, Lamprotornis shelleyi: Found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Tanzania- Chestnut-bellied Starling, Lamprotornis pulcher: Found in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali
- Purple-headed Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis purpureiceps: Found in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Nigeria, and Uganda.
- Copper-tailed Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis cupreocauda: Found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Nesting / Breeding
These starlings typically nest in tree cavities, sometimes natural holes or abandoned woodpecker or barbet nests. Some may take advantage of man-made structures.
Diet / Feeding
Lamprotornis glossy-starlings are opportunistic feeders that will feed on fruits and other plant matter, or take insects from large mammals or pick up those stirred up by them. They usually feed on the ground or may take fruits from trees.
