Greater Blue-eared Starling Identification Guide

Key Field Marks

• Size & shape: A medium-sized glossy starling with a fairly short, square-ended tail relative to some longer-tailed African starlings.
• Plumage: Brilliant metallic blue-green overall, with a distinct violet-blue patch across the ear coverts that gives the species its name; belly and vent are also glossy blue-green (not contrastingly different, unlike some relatives).
• Eye color: Bright orange-yellow, a useful field mark when comparing to similar species.
• Bill & legs: Short black bill and blackish legs typical of glossy starlings.
• Behavior: Forms noisy flocks, often mixing with other starling species, and is frequently seen foraging on the ground or in low trees for insects and fruit.

Separating It From Similar Species

• Lesser Blue-eared Starling: Smaller, with a shorter tail and a duller, more purplish (less vivid blue) ear patch; the dark eye of the lesser blue-eared starling is a key difference from the orange-yellow eye of the greater.
• Cape Glossy Starling: Lacks a clearly defined ear patch, appearing more uniformly glossy blue-green on the head, and has a longer tail.
• Splendid Glossy Starling: Shows a more sharply demarcated white-ish or pale eye and different underpart gloss patterns; ranges overlap in parts of central Africa.
• Careful attention to eye color and the crispness of the ear patch is the best way to separate this trio of similar glossy starlings.

Where and When to See One

• Range: Widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south to South Africa (with some regional gaps filled by the lesser blue-eared starling).
• Habitat: Open woodland, savanna, farmland edges, and gardens; adaptable to human-modified landscapes.
• Season: Resident year-round across most of its range, though some local movements track food and rainfall.

Voice Cues

• A varied mix of harsh chattering notes, squeaky whistles, and warbled phrases, often given in flight or from a perch.
• Flocks can be quite noisy at communal roosts, with calls overlapping into a constant chatter — useful for locating a mixed starling flock before identifying individual species by sight.