Long tailed glossy starling

Long tailed glossy starling

Scientific name: Lamprotornis caudatus
Situation in the wild: Least threatened
The Jerusalem Zoo: Individuals at the Tropical Aviary
The Long tailed glossy starling is a small bird from the Starling family. The natural habitat and distribution area of the Starlings are the Rain forests of Africa, from Senegal to Sudan. The color of the adult starling is spectacular - the back is metallic green and is has a purple belly. The tail is long and can reach a length of 34 cm. Male and female are similar in features. The Starling feeds on fruit and insects, but specializes in capturing invertebrates using a method called open bill probing. The starling uses its sharp beak to penetrate the ground and catch small invertebrates hiding underneath the shallow surface. The Staling is characteristic of its shrill loud cries it produces. The Starling's colors and cries are used for communication among individuals dwelling n the dense Rain-forests. In Israel, there are two species that nest or pass-by and two other species are defined as invasive species. The long tailed glossy starling can be observed at the Tropical Aviary here at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo. However you may need a measure of patience in order to identify them in between the thick vegetation.

Photo: Tal Romano

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