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Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source ↗
Greater Blue-eared Starling
Groot-blouoorglansspreeu · Lamprotornis chalybaeus
A glossy starling that shimmers metallic blue-green, with a richer blue belly and a dark blue ear patch separating it from the similar Cape Glossy Starling. The staring orange eye is a useful clue. It feeds on insects and fruit, walks confidently on the ground, and gathers in chattering flocks at camps and waterholes.
Log your Greater Blue-eared Starling sighting — free →How to identify it
Told from Cape Glossy Starling by its deeper blue belly and the dark navy-blue ear patch, plus a bright orange-yellow eye.
Listen for its call
Nasal drawn-out "squee-arr" and chattering.
Where to see it in Kruger
Common in woodland and around rest camps park-wide, often foraging on the ground in small noisy parties.
Did you know
Its feathers have no blue pigment at all; the dazzling shine comes from the way tiny structures bend the sunlight.
Often confused with
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