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.
Many thanks for your visit and also to all those people who leave comments.
A much more dramatic bird than the starlings I see over here.
ReplyDeleteHello Margaret, wonderful series on this Pied Starling. It is a handsome bird. Happy Tuesday, enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteA very elegant, leggy bird!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful bird Margaret!!!
ReplyDeleteInteresting pictures.I find it interesting to see birds with much the same name and yet look so different from what we have here.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great bird and wonderful pictures. It's a new one for me.
ReplyDeleteColonies and noise--- Must certainly be related to our introduced European Starlings. I like 'em.
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful bird!
ReplyDeleteLooks a bit like those Magpies they get in Australia.............
ReplyDeleteA handsome fellow!
ReplyDeleteA great bird and lovely photos :)
ReplyDeleteNice looking bird!
ReplyDeletelovely fellow..noisy and conspicuous, just my kind of bird :-).
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful! You got some great shots!
ReplyDelete