Cape Glossy Starling

Adults have brilliant iridescent metallic blue-green plumage on the head, upperparts, and underparts, contrasting with dark wings and a tail that catches the light with purple sheens. Juveniles are much duller, with brownish-grey underparts and less glossy upperparts.

Intense iridescent blue-green plumage, bright yellowish-white eyes (in adults), and a stout, slightly curved black bill.

Length: 25-28 cm; Weight: 80-110 g

A complex mix of musical notes, chatters, and harsh scolding calls, often mimicking other bird species.

Omnivorous, feeding on seeds, fruits, berries, nectar, and a wide variety of insects, especially grasshoppers and beetles.

Savanna, open woodlands, thornveld, cultivated lands, and urban gardens.

Resident, undertaking only local or seasonal movements in response to food availability.

Nests in natural tree cavities, old woodpecker holes, or sometimes building crevices, lining them with softer materials. Clutch size is typically 2 to 6 greenish-blue eggs spotted with reddish-brown.

Burchell's Starling and Greater Blue-eared Starling; distinguished primarily by geographic range, minor eye color differences, and subtle variations in head and body gloss coloration patterns.

Acts as an important seed disperser and helps control agricultural and garden insect pests.

Least Concern, with stable and widespread populations.

Look for them in open woodlands, suburban gardens, and parks, often walking on lawns or perched on prominent branches. They are quite bold and can be habituated to humans near picnic sites.

Like many starlings, Cape Glossy Starlings are excellent mimics and can imitate the sounds of other birds and environmental noises.