Long-tailed Glossy Starling
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| Long-tailed Glossy Starling Conservation status: Lower risk | ||||||||||||||
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| Lamprotornis caudatus (Statius Muller, 1776) |
The Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis caudatus, is a member of the starling family of birds. It is a resident breeder in tropical Africa from Senegal east to Sudan.
This common passerine is typically found in open woodland and cultivation. The Long-tailed Glossy Starling builds a nest in hole. The normal clutch is 2 to 4 eggs.
This ubiquitous bird is gregarious and noisy, with a harsh grating call.
The adults of these 54 cm long birds have metallic green upperparts, violet underparts and a 34 cm long purple tail. The face is black with a yellow eye. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller, with a brownish tone to the plumage.
Like most starlings, the Long-tailed Glossy Starling is fairly omnivorous, eating fruit and insects.
References
- Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1