- Poeoptera stuhlmanni
Identification
A small, dark starling. 15cm.
- Dark blue-black with blue sheen head, nape, chin, throat and breast
- Black upperparts, belly and undertail-coverts with purple sheen
- Black wing and tail
- Iris with outer yellow ring and inner brown ring
- Black bill and legs
The female is dark grey with some bluish sheen. Juveniles resemble females.
Distribution
Found locally in southwest Ethiopia, South Sudan, extreme eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southwest Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, western Kenya and western Tanzania.
Common in its small range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
May form a superspecies with Kenrick's Starling.
Habitat
Found in highland and montane forest. Usually at 1500 - 2600m.
Behaviour
Feeds on fruit. Forages mainly in canopy and middle levels of forest.
Usually seen in pairs or small groups. Does not join mixed-species flocks in Itombe but seen in other parts of range feeding with Bulbuls, White-eyes and Barbets and sometimes with flocks of Waller's Starling.
Breeds in March in Ethiopia, in April in Sudan, February to March in Uguanda and June in DRC. Breeding recorded in December and March in Kenya. The nest is placed in a tree hole at leat 10m above the ground. No other information.
A resident species with some local movements.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- 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) Stuhlmann's Starling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Stuhlmann%27s_Starling
