Alternative name: Regal Starling
- Lamprotornis regius
Cosmopsarus regius
Identification
30cm. A distinctive, colourful starling.
- Glossy greenish-blue crown, nape, chin, throat and cheek
- Turquoise lores and ear-coverts
- Greenish-blue mantle and back, glossed with purple
- Turquoise blue rump
- Greenish-blue upperwing
- Bronze, very long, narrow and graduated tail
- Purple patch on breast
- Golden-yellow rest of underparts
- White eye
- Black bill and legs
Sexes similar, females have shorter tails. Juveniles have a matt grey head, throat and breast, buffy yellow underparts and brown eyes
Distribution
East Africa: found from Southern Ethiopia to Somalia, eastern Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania.
Common in its range.
Taxonomy
This species is sometimes placed in genus Cosmopsarus.
Subspecies
Clements regards this as a monotypic species [1].
The proposed subspecies magnificus is usually not accepted.
Habitat
Arid savanna. Occurs from sea-level up to 1200m.
Behaviour
Forages in small groups on the ground. Sometimes associated with Fischer's Starling.
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects, takes also some fruit.
Breeding
A monogamous species. Co-operative breeding regularly observed with up to nine helpers for a pair. The nest is placed in a tree hole. Lays 3 - 4 eggs.
Movements
A resident species with some possible local movements in the dry season.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Golden-breasted Starling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Golden-breasted_Starling
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
