Bird Guide

Chestnut-bellied Starling vs Purple Starling

Chestnut-bellied Starling (Lamprotornis pulcher)

Chestnut-bellied Starling

Lamprotornis pulcher

Medium67 gShrubland

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.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Valentin Moser · CC BY 4.0
Purple Starling (Lamprotornis purpureus)

Purple Starling

Lamprotornis purpureus

Medium113 gShrubland

The adults of these stocky 22–23 cm long birds have a metallic purple head and body, and glossy green wings. They have a short tail and a yellow eye. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are much duller, with grey underparts and a brown iris.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Lamprotornis_purpureus_-Kasteelpark_-Netherlands-8a.jpg: Gérard van Drunen derivative work: Berichard (talk) · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Chestnut-bellied Starling and Purple Starling.