Alternative name: Purple-headed Glossy Starling; Velvet-headed Glossy Starling
- Hylopsar purpureiceps
Lamprotornis purpureiceps
Identification
18cm. A small, short-tailed and dark starling.
- Deep glossy purple crown, chin, throat and chest, sharply demarcated from rest of plumage
- Glossy greenish-blue nape, mantle, back and rump
- Iridiscent blue wings, shading to violet on outer margins of primaries
- Black tail with faint purple gloss
- Glossy greenish-blue belly and flanks
- Black undertail-coverts
- Dark brown eye
- Black bill and legs
Sexes similar, juveniles are matt charcoal-grey with some gloss on the wings.
Distribution
Found in Africa from southern Nigeria east to southern Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, western and northern DRC, Uganda and western Kenya. Also south to northern Angola (Cabinda).
Records from Guinea and Ivory Coast need confirmation due possible confusion with very similar Copper-tailed Glossy Starling.
Locally common in much of its range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Formerly placed in genus Lamprotornis.
Habitat
Evergreen lowland forest. Occurs up to 1500m, up to 1800 in eastern parts of range.
Behaviour
Usually seen in pairs or small flocks. Sometimes in bigger groups of up to 100 birds.
Diet
Feeds mainly on fruits, takes also some animal food.
Breeding
Breeding season differs through range. A monogamous species. The nest is placed in a tree hole up to 26m above the ground. One reported nest contained 3 eggs.
Movements
Presumably a resident species with some local movements related to fruit availability.
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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Purple-headed Starling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 12 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Purple-headed_Starling
