Superb starling
Superb Starling | |
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Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania | |
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Species: | 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.
Description
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Superb_Starling_%26_Rufous-tailed_Weaver%2C_Serengeti.jpg/220px-Superb_Starling_%26_Rufous-tailed_Weaver%2C_Serengeti.jpg)
This species is 18 to 19 cm (7—7.5 inches) 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 irises are brown, later grayish white, eventually the adult's cream-color.
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 on the ground.
Gallery
References
- Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Zimmerman, Dale A.; Turner, Donald A.; and Pearson, David J. (1999). Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania, Field Guide Edition. Princeton University Press. pp. 172–173, 514. ISBN 0-691-01022-6. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Superb Starling videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)