Long-tailed glossy starling
| Long-tailed glossy starling | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Long-tailed glossy starling, Parc Forestier de Hann, Senegal | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Sturnidae |
| Genus: | Lamprotornis |
| Species: | L. caudatus |
| Binomial name | |
| 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 two to four 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
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Lamprotornis caudatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1