Alternative name: Principe Glossy Starling
- Lamprotornis ornatus
Identification
30cm. A large, iridescent starling.
- Glossy bluish-green crown, nape and upper mantle
- Glossy golden-bronze back and rump
- Turquoise uppertail-coverts
- Blackish lores, violet ear-coverts, cheek green tipped with turquoise
- Turquoise upperwing with violet centres, black greater coverts, golden-bronze secondaries and tertials with dark barring, black primaries with violet and turquoise tips
- Dark bronzy black tail with some cross-barring
- Dark coppery-green chin, throat, breast and belly
- Dark glossy green flanks and thighs
- Deep violet-blue undertail-coverts
- White eye
- Black bill and legs
Similar species
Splendid Glossy Starling looks very similar, note wings and underparts.
Distribution
Endemic to Principe Island, Gulf of Guinea.
One of the commonest birds on the island.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Habitat
Subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, also plantations and disturbed areas.
Seems to retreat to higher forest when Splendid Glossy Starling is present.
Behaviour
Feeds mainly on fruit, takes some animal food.
Forages in pairs or small groups in trees. Sometimes in flocks with Splendid Glossy Starling.
Breeding reported January to February. The nest is placed in a tree hole. No other information.
A resident species.
References
- Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
- 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. (2024) Principe Starling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 18 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Principe_Starling
