Cape Starling

Lamprotornis nitens (Linnaeus, 1766)

Cape Starling, Lamprotornis nitens, is a starling of southern Africa, breeding from western DR Congo through western and southern Angola to Namibia, Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique and northern and eastern South Africa. It belongs to the family Sturnidae and was described by Linnaeus in 1766. It lives in open woodland, bushveld, savannah, plantations, rough grassland, parks and gardens, and uses trees for roosting and nesting. It is not tied to dense forest or pasture. The adult has a bright glossy plumage, with a blue head, darker ear coverts and greenish-blue upperparts.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Sturnidae — Starlings, Rhabdornises

Breeding range

Africa: w DR Congo through w, s Angola to Namibia, Botswana, s Zimbabawe, s Mozambique and n, e South Africa