Bird Guide

Cape Starling vs Pied Starling

Cape Starling (Lamprotornis nitens)

Cape Starling

Lamprotornis nitens

Medium86 gGrassland

The Cape starling has an adult length of about 25 cm (10 in) and weight of about 100 grams (3.5 oz). The plumage of an adult bird is a fairly uniform bright, glossy colour. The head is blue with darker ear coverts and the upper parts of the body are greenish-blue. It has a lengthy warbling song which may include an imitation of sounds it hears in its environment.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: sableplains · CC BY 4.0
Pied Starling (Lamprotornis bicolor)

Pied Starling

Lamprotornis bicolor

Medium104 gGrassland

The adult of this 27–28 cm (11 in) long starling has mainly dully glossed black plumage except for a white lower belly and undertail. It has a white iris and yellow lower mandible. The sexes are alike, but the juvenile has unglossed plumage, a brown iris and a dull yellow lower mandible. There are no subspecies. This species has a number of calls, but the most familiar is a skeer kerrra kerrra. There is also a soft warbling song.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Diego Rubolini · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Cape Starling and Pied Starling.