Shelley's Starling
Lamprotornis shelleyi
A small dark starling of dry country. The upperparts are iridescent, with a blue sheen on the head and green on most of the wing. Also note the chestnut underparts and the yellow-orange eye. Found in dry thorn savanna and thorn scrub, usually in small wandering flocks, often with other species of starlings. Similar to Hildebrandt’s Starling, but slightly smaller and darker overall, with a deeper rufous belly and a less contrasting green wing. Also reminiscent of Superb Starling, but doesn’t have a white chest band. Gives mewing calls, often in a long, continuous series.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lamprotornis shelleyi
- Authority
- (Sharpe, 1890)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Genus
- Lamprotornis
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- AF : Ethiopia and Somalia to n Kenya and se South Sudan
- Non-breeding range
- to n Tanzania
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Brown Tit-Babbler
Macronus striaticeps
A fairly small bird of forest and scrub from the lowlands to middle elevations in the mountains. Rufous on the back, wings, and tail. Black head is streaked white, with creamy throat blending to pale rufous underparts with pale streaking on chest and down the sides of the throat. Races differ. Sulu birds have a brown crown, less streaking, and uniformly buffy underparts. Brown Tit-Babbler is somewhat similar to Visayan and Mindanao Pygmy-Babblers, but has a pale throat. Voice includes a varied whistled duet, plus various rasps and chatters.
Chestnut-fronted Macaw
Ara severus
Small for a macaw but still larger than any of the long-tailed parakeets. Mostly green with whitish face and reddish underwings (only visible in flight). Sexes similar. Found in pairs or small flocks, in forest and also in disturbed open habitat including agricultural land and clearings. Listen for very harsh scratchy calls.
Antipodes Parakeet
Cyanoramphus unicolor
Entirely green parakeet endemic to the subantarctic Antipodes Islands. The largest of New Zealand’s native parakeets. Males are larger than females. Common throughout their habitat and range, walking and climbing through vegetation when foraging. Will scavenge bird carcasses. An inquisitive bird, often approaching human visitors. Call is a distinctive deep “kok-kok-kok-kok” chatter. Shares its range with Reischek’s parakeet, but distinguishable by much larger size and lack of a red crown.
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