The superb starling (''Lamprotornis superbus'') is a member of the

starling Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The Sturnidae are named for the genus '' Sturnus'', which in turn comes from the Latin word for starling, ''sturnus''. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, ...

family of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s. It was formerly known as ''Spreo superbus''.

Distribution

This species has a very large range and can commonly be found in East Africa, including

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the ...

, and

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

.Living the scientific life

Habitat

The superb starling lives in savanna, in thornbush and acacia arid areas, open woodland, lakeshore woodlands, gardens and cultivated fields, at an elevation of above sea level.Hand Book of the Birds of the World
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Description

This species is long. These small short-tailed starlings have a long narrow bill, robust bodies, strong feet and a distinctive plumage pattern. Adults have black heads and iridescent blue-to-green back, upper breast, wings, and tail. The belly is red-orange, separated from the blue breast by a white bar. The undertail coverts and the wing linings are white. Juveniles have duller plumage with no more than a suggestion of the white breast band. Their eyes are brown at first, later grayish white. The superb starling has a long and loud song consisting of trills and chatters. At midday it gives a softer song of repeated phrases. There are several harsh calls, the most complex of which is described as "a shrill, screeching ''skerrrreeee-cherrrroo-tcherreeeeeet''." The appearance of the superb starling is very similar to Hildebrandt's starling, also found in East Africa. The superb starling is distinguished by having pale creamy-white eyes, as opposed to red eyes in the Hildebrandt's. Moreover, only adult superb starlings have a white breast band.

Biology

The superb starling feeds primarily on the ground, often below, or in the vicinity of acacia trees. These birds mainly feeds on insects (grasshoppers, beetles, termites, ants and flies) and worms, but also on grains, fruits and small berries. They are

gregarious Sociality is the degree to which individuals in an animal population tend to associate in social groups (gregariousness) and form cooperative societies. Sociality is a survival response to evolutionary pressures. For example, when a mother wasp ...

and are generally rather tame and unafraid of people. The breeding season lasts from October to February in Ethiopia, from March to June in Somalia. Spherical nests of grasses and twigs are built in bushes, in trees of medium height and also in rock crevices. Females lay 3-4 eggs which are incubated for twelve days. Both the male and the female take care of the offspring.

Gallery

File:Lamprotornis superbus -Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart, Germany -family-8a.jpg, A family at Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart, Germany. The paler coloured juvenile is in between two adults. File:Superb Starling Lamprotornis superbus 3541 cropped Nevit.jpg, Superb starling at

Ngorongoro crater The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (, ) is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District, west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northern Tanzania. The area is na ...

File:Dreifarbenglanzstar 2007-09-01 199.jpg, Superb starling feeding on a larva File:Lamprotornis superbus, Western Serengeti 3.jpg, Habitat in Western

Serengeti The Serengeti ( ) ecosystem is a Geography of Africa, geographical region in Africa, spanning northern Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game res ...

Bibliography

* Colin Harrison & Alan Greensmith: ''Vögel.'' Dorling Kindersly Limited, London 1993, 2000, * Bryan Richard: ''Vögel.'' Parragon, Bath,

References

External links

Superb Starling videos, photos & sounds
on the Internet Bird Collection {{Taxonbar, from=Q608635 Superb Starling Birds of East Africa Birds described in 1845