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Cape Glossy Starling

Lamprotornis nitens

Description:

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent plumage

Habitat:

The starlings inhabit a wide range of habitats from the Arctic Circle to the Equator, in fact the only habitat they do not typically occupy is the driest sandy deserts. The family is naturally absent from the Americas and from large parts of Australia, but is present over the majority of Europe, Africa and Asia. The genus Aplonis has also spread widely across the islands of the Pacific reaching Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia[3] (in addition one species in the genus Mino has reached the Solomon Islands[5]), it is also a species of this genus that is the only starling found in northern Australia.[3]

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2 Comments

Jared Hersch
Jared Hersch 11 years ago

Indeed these eyes often freak me out, crazy eyes ;-)

AnnvanWijgerden
AnnvanWijgerden 11 years ago

Amazing plumage, startling eyes!

Jared Hersch
Spotted by
Jared Hersch

Sundays River Valley Local Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Spotted on Jan 25, 2013
Submitted on Feb 4, 2013

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Reference

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