Superb starling
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| Superb starling | |
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| File:Superb Starling Portrait.jpg | |
| Individual at Lake Naivasha, Kenya | |
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L. superbus
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| Binomial name | |
| Lamprotornis superbus (Rüppell, 1845)
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The superb starling (Lamprotornis superbus) is a member of the starling family of birds. It can commonly be found in East Africa, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. It was formerly known as Spreo superbus.[2]
Description
This species is 18 to 19 cm (7.1 to 7.5 in) long. 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."
This species feeds primarily on the ground, often below, or in the vicinity of, acacia trees. It is gregarious and is generally rather tame and unafraid of people.[3]
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 cream-colored eyes, as opposed to red eyes in the Hildebrandt's.
Gallery
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Superb Starling, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania (2010).jpg
Superb starling seen in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
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Superb Starling RWD5.jpg
Superb starling
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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.
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Dreifarbenglanzstar 2007-09-01 199.jpg
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Superb Starling London Zoo 08-10-05.jpg
At London Zoo
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Superb Starling, Ngorongoro.jpg
References
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External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lamprotornis superbus. |
- Superb Starling videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
