Africa Wild Bird Book

[Dewi]

763. Meves's Starling Lamprotornis mevesii (Langstertglanspreeu)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sturnidae

Meves Starling.jpg (10.93 KiB) Viewed 950 times

Description
34-36 cm. A glossy (iridescent blue-green) starling with a dark eye and long, graduated pointed tail. Black bill and legs. Blackish lores and ear-coverts. Sexes similar, females duller and smaller than males.
Forehead to mantle blue-green, with some purple sheen. Lores and ear coverts black. Lower back and upper tail coverts purple, rump with bronze sheen. Long tail blue-violet, with darker cross-barring; strongly graduated, with central pair of rectrices longest. Wings blue-green, with purple sheen on outer webs; feathers with faint cross-barring. Axillaries and underwing coverts with violet-blue gloss. Chin to breast blue-green, with purple gloss; lower breast with narrow violet band. Centre of belly bronze; flanks and undertail coverts purple. Undertail blackish. Bill black. Eyes dark brown. Legs and feet black.
Juveniles are duller and have matt black underparts and a shorter tail than adults, but the long, pointed tail is evident.
Note that the long tail is rather pointed (with narrow and rounded central tail-feathers) than square ended and this species is slimmer in build than the similar Burchell's Starling and has a less contrasting mask than Burchell's Starling. Meves's Starling is also a smaller bodied, more compact bird than Burchell's Starling. These are the only two glossy starlings with dark eyes (in adult).

Distribution
Occurs from Angola, Zambia and Malawi to southern Africa, where it is locally common in northern Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique, Zimbabwe and north-eastern South Africa.



Habitat
Mopane woodland and riverine forests. Especially Mo­pane with scattered Baobab trees.

Diet
It mainly eats insects supplemented with fruit and flowers, doing most of its foraging on the ground, often catching prey disturbed by large mammals.

Breeding
Monogamous. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a cup built of dead plant material typically placed in a tree cavity about 1-4 m above ground. It may also fence posts and ventilation pipes, often reusing the same nest over multiple breeding seasons. Egg-laying season is from November-April. It lays 3-5 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female in about 18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents, leaving the nest after about 23 days.
Occasionally para­sitised by Great Spotted Cuckoo.

Call
A harsh keeeaaaa and series of churring notes. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Localised and sparsely distributed resident. Usually in groups.

[Dewi]

763. Meves's Starling Lamprotornis mevesii



© Dewi
Kruger National Park, S63

© nan
Kruger National Park

© Flutterby
Kruger National Park, Satara area

© leachy
Kruger National Park, S63

Links:
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/763.pdf
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/species_info.p ... #menu_left

[Toko]

762. Burchell’s Starling Lamprotornis australis (Grootglansspreeu)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sturnidae

Burchells Starling.jpg (12.77 KiB) Viewed 945 times

Description
Length 30 cm, weight 112-128 g. Glossy blue-green plumage. Bronze ear-coverts and carpal patch. Purple rump. Violet tail with blackish bars. Dark brown eye. Black bill and legs. Sexes similar.
Juveniles have matt black underparts and dull green sheen on upperparts.
Similar species: The largest glossy starling, differing from most others in dark eyes. The contrasting dark mask and the often partly exposed dark centres of upperwing-coverts and scapulars help separating this species from Meves's Starling.

Distribution
Occurs from southern Angola and western Zambia to southern Africa, where it is locally common in Namibia, Botswana and northern South Africa.

Habitat
It generally prefers open woodland and savanna, especially with Camel thorn (Acacia erioloba) and Knob thorn (Acacia nigrescens) trees.

Diet
It mainly eats arthropods, supplemented with small vertebrates and fruit, doing most of its foraging on the ground.

Breeding
The nest is usually a tree cavity, either natural or an abandoned woodpecker or barbet nest. It may also use a crevice in a cliff, hole in a building or a nest box, lining the egg chamber with grass, green leaves and feathers and sometimes cloth, paper, string and snake skin. Egg-laying season is from October-April. It lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for about 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents, leaving the nest after about 20-24 days.

Call
Various harsh notes and whistled phrases. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common resident.

[Toko]

762. Burchell’s Starling Lamprotornis australis

© Dewi
Kruger National Park, S90

© Pumbaa
Kruger National Park, S107

© lowveldboy

© Dewi

© Tina
Kruger National Park, H7

Links:
Sabap2
Ian Sinclair. SASOL VOELS VAN SUIDER AFRICA (3de UIT)

[Flutterby]

759. Pied Starling Lamprotornis bicolor, formerly Spreo bicolor (Afrikaanse Witgatspreeu)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sturnidae



Description
Mainly dully glossed black plumage except for a white vent and undertail coverts. It has a white iris and yellow lower mandible. The sexes are alike.
The juvenile has unglossed plumage, a brown iris and a dull yellow lower mandible.

Distribution
Endemic to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Throughout South Africa, but largely absent from the arid northwest and the eastern lowlands of South Africa.



Habitat
Grassland and Karoo scrub, often around farmyards and stock.

Diet
Mostly insects; also nectar and fruit.

Breeding
Monogamous, usually colonial cooperative breeder, nesting either solitarily or in colonies ranging from a few pairs to several thousand individuals. The breeding pair are typically assisted by up to 7 helpers, who are either immature or unmated adults, often becoming the mate of a bird previously assisted in an earlier breeding season. Egg-laying season is year-round, peaking from August-January. It lays 2-6 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for about 14-16 days. The chicks are fed by parents and helpers, leaving the nest after about 23-27 days; helpers continue to feed them for about a week more before they become independent.
Hosts for Great Spotted Cuckoo and Greater Honeyguide.

Call
Most characteristic call wreek-wreek, or a skeer kerrra kerrra. There is also a soft warbling song. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common resident; endemic; usually in flocks.

[Flutterby]

759. Pied Starling Lamprotornis bicolor



© Sharifa
Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng

© BluTuna
Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng

Links:
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/species_info.p ... #menu_left
Ian Sinclair. SASOL VOELS VAN SUIDER AFRICA (3de UIT)

[Flutterby]

761. Violet-backed Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster (Witborsspreeu)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sturnidae

Description
16 cm.
Male: Iridescent metallic purple head, throat, back and tail. Deep purplish blue wings. White breast and belly. Iris with yellow outer ring and dark inner ring.
Female: Brown head and back with streaked appearance. White belly, heavily streaked. Yellowish eyes.
Juveniles are similar to females, but with brown eyes.

Distribution
Across much of sub-Saharan Africa, excluding Somalia and central DRC, from Senegal to Ethiopia south to southern Africa. Here it is seasonally common to abundant from northern Namibia and Botswana to Zimbabwe, Mozambique and north-eastern and eastern parts of South Africa.

Habitat
Riverine forest and woodland.

Movements and migrations
Breeding intra-African migrant from tropical Africa; present mostly from September to May.

Diet
Mainly fruit, also insects. Forages mainly in trees and spends only little time on the ground.

Breeding
Monogamous. Nests in natural tree holes, lined with green leaves; also fence posts. The clutch consists of 2-4 pale blue oval eggs with reddish-brown spots. Incubated by the female for 2 weeks. Both adults care for the young for 3 weeks, feeding them mainly insects.
Occasionally parasitised by Greater and Lesser honeyguides.

Call
Whistled tipee-tipee-teeeuu. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common breeding migrant to southern Africa.

[Flutterby]

761. Violet-backed Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

© Flutterby
Male

© Lisbeth
Male

© Peter Betts
Male

© Lisbeth

© Pumbaa
Kruger National Park

© Amoli
Male, Pilanesberg

© Pumbaa
Male, Kruger National Park

Links:
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/761.pdf
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3
Roberts online
Ian Sinclair. SASOL VOELS VAN SUIDER AFRICA (3de UIT)

[nan]

769. Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio (Rooivlerkspreeu)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Sturnidae

Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio.jpg (46.95 KiB) Viewed 951 times

Description
Size 30 cm. A dark starling with a rather long tail. Iridescent black plumage. Bright chestnut flight-feathers with dark tips. Dark red eye (not orange). Black bill and legs.
Female has an ash-grey head and upper breast.
Juvenile resembles the male but is less glossy than adult and has brown eyes.
Similar species: Pale-winged Starling has an orange eye.

Distribution
In patches from Ethiopia through Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi to southern Africa. Here it is common from northern Mozambique and Zimbabwe to eastern Botswana and South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, while absent from the Karoo and Kalahari.

Habitat: Rocky ravines, cliffs and suburbia.

Diet
The diet includes seeds, berries, nectar and invertebrates. It will also scavenge on carrion and human food discards.

Breeding
It is monogamous with pairs staying together for several years, possibly life, often producing two broods in one breeding season. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a large flat platform built of sticks, grass and rootlets secured together with mud. The interior is usually lined with grass or other fine material, such as horse or even human hair, plucked from peoples' heads. It is typically placed on a rock or building ledge, on beam or at the base of a palm frond. Egg-laying season is from September-March. 2–4, blue eggs, spotted with red-brown are laid and incubated by the female for 13–14 days, while the male feeds her at the nest. The chicks are fed by both parents on a diet of pieces of insects, leaving the nest after about 22-28 days. The first brood of the breeding season are usually chased away by their parents about 2 weeks later, but the second brood may remain dependent on the adults for 5-6 weeks after leaving.
It may be parasitised by the Great Spotted Cuckoo.

Call
Loud whistle spreeooo. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common resident.

[nan]

769. Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio

© nan
Female

© Dewi
Female

© Flutterby
Male

© Lisbeth
Male & female

© Sharifa
Male

© Amoli
Female

© Pumbaa
Male, Kruger National Park

Links:
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/769.pdf
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3
http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-red-w ... rling.html