Alternative names: Black-bellied Glossy Starling; Black-breasted Glossy Starling
- Notopholia corusca
Lamprotornis corruscus
Identification
A small, dark and short-tailed Starling. 18cm.
- Glossy dark green crown, nape and mantle, some iridescent blue on ear-coverts
- Dark green back, rump and uppertail-coverts with violet-blue gloss
- Dark blue-green wings with some gloss
- Dark violet-blue tail
- Glossy dark green chin, throat and upper breast
- Dark violet-blue lower breast and belly with bronzy sheen
- Orange-yellow eye, red in breeding period
- Black bill and legs
Female similar but with matt black lower breast and belly.
Juveniles are sooty black without gloss and with a dark grey iris.
Distribution
Found in a narrow belt along the coast from southern Somalia south to Kenya and to South Africa. Locally common to abundant.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies:
- N. c. corusca from southern Somalia to Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and eastern South Africa. Follows rivers inland and reaches therefore extreme southeast Zimbabwe.
- N. c. vaughani on Pempa Island, off northeast Tanzania
Formerly placed in genus Lamprotornis.
Habitat
Evergreen and coastal forests.
Usually in lowlands below 500m, up to 1000m in Usumbaras and 2000m in Meru Forest.
Behaviour
Usually seen in small flocks.
Diet
Feeds mainly on fruit but takes also nectar, insects and other small animals. Forages usually in trees, sometimes on the ground.
Breeding
Breeding season from October to January but breeding in other months recorded. A monogamous species.
The nest is placed in a natural tree hole or an old barbet or woodpecker hole. Lays 2 - 4 eggs.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Black-bellied Starling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-bellied_Starling
