Chestnut-bellied Starling
Lamprotornis pulcher
The Chestnut-bellied Starling (Lamprotornis pulcher) is a rare rhabdornis, starlings, and myna found in 17 countries, weighing about 67 g. The chestnut-bellied starling is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae.
About the Chestnut-bellied Starling
The chestnut-bellied starling is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. This is a common resident in arid Sahelian acacia savanna, namely in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, and Togo.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This is one of the rufous-bellied starlings, and the only one in most of its range. The pale eye differentiates it from Hildebrandt's and Shelley's starlings, while the absence of a white breast band separates it from the Splendid Starling. Predominantly glossy dark-green to blue, with a distinct dark (and not glossy) head and breast.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire.
When to see it
The Chestnut-bellied Starling can be seen all year round, with peak activity in December. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Chestnut-bellied Starling?
- This is one of the rufous-bellied starlings, and the only one in most of its range. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Chestnut-bellied Starling?
- The Chestnut-bellied Starling is a medium sized bird weighing about 67 g.
- Where can you see a Chestnut-bellied Starling?
- The Chestnut-bellied Starling occurs in 17 countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Burkina Faso and the Gambia.
- What birds look similar to a Chestnut-bellied Starling?
- The Chestnut-bellied Starling is most easily confused with the Lesser Blue-eared Starling, the Ashy Starling and the Fischer's Starling.
- Is the Chestnut-bellied Starling endangered?
- The Chestnut-bellied Starling is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
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