Tuesday 16 February 2016

WIlD BIRD WEDNESDAY - South Africa - Pied Starling

This is a bird I photographed when my friends and I stopped for a picnic before reaching Kruger National Park, South Africa.  It is a Pied Starling.


Pied Starling
27 cm


A large, blackish-brown starling with a conspicuous white vent. At close range, exaggerated yellow gape, creamy-white eyes and glossy wing coverts are visible. Paler primary bases are visible in flight. Juv. is matt black with white vent; gape white; eyes dark. 


Voice: Nasal ‘skeer-kerrra-kerrra', often given in flight; also a warbling song. 


Endemic. Common resident in grassland and Karoo scrub. 
Often in flocks, frequently with Wattled Starlings . 



Usually roosts and breeds colonially in holes in earth banks; noisy and conspicuous when commuting to and from its colonies at dusk and dawn. 


Sometimes gleans ectoparasites from livestock.




I am linking this post with WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.

Many thanks for your visit and also to all those people who leave comments.

14 comments:

  1. A much more dramatic bird than the starlings I see over here.

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  2. Hello Margaret, wonderful series on this Pied Starling. It is a handsome bird. Happy Tuesday, enjoy your day!

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  3. Interesting pictures.I find it interesting to see birds with much the same name and yet look so different from what we have here.

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  4. That's a great bird and wonderful pictures. It's a new one for me.

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  5. Colonies and noise--- Must certainly be related to our introduced European Starlings. I like 'em.

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  6. Looks a bit like those Magpies they get in Australia.............

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  7. A great bird and lovely photos :)

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  8. lovely fellow..noisy and conspicuous, just my kind of bird :-).

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  9. Just beautiful! You got some great shots!

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