Black-bellied Starling
Notopholia corusca
Relatively small, slim, blackish starling. The belly is black, and there is little gloss to the rest of the plumage. The eye is usually yellow, but the male’s eye turns red for a brief period during the breeding season. Found in and around forest and moist woodland, mostly near the coast. Song is a fast and variable sequence which can include mimicry. Smaller, slimmer, and less glossy than other dark starlings in its range.
Identification
The black-bellied starling (Notopholia corusca) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae, originally described by zoologist Alexander von Nordmann in 1835. It is found in Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Their iris color changes by mood or behavior due to fluctuations in blood flow rates.
Taxonomy
Genus: Notopholia; Family: Sturnidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Notopholia corusca
- Authority
- (Nordmann, 1835)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Genus
- Notopholia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Unmistakable blue-black swallow with incredibly long tail streamers. Can show small and irregular white patches on the body. Breeds in moist montane grassland. On migration and the wintering grounds, occurs more widely in open habitats including wetlands and cultivation. Rare and declining. Dark like a sawwing, but separated by glossy-blue coloration and longer tail streamers.
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