Starling South Africa (1 Viewer)

[balbuzard26]

Hello,

During a trip to South Africa in January, I took several photo starling (it is every time a bird dispute), I have trouble clearly identified here. Could you help me please.

Thanking you in advance.

1 - Photographed in Pretoria

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/592x444q90/845/q3i9.jpg

2- Photographed in Kruger Park

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/592x444q90/856/ph39.jpg

3- Photographed in Kruger Park

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/592x444q90/833/tq51.jpg

4- Photographed in Kruger Park

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/592x444q50/42/6ibc.jpg

5- Photographed in Kruger Park

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/592x444q50/27/2wp1.jpg

6- Photographed at the border of South Africa and Swaziland

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/592x444q90/843/3wtt.jpg

7- Photographed in Hluhluwe in northern KwaZulu-Natal

http://img109.xooimage.com/files/6/2/4/07-44fbc8f-44fc66c.jpg

 

[jimprichards]

Hi... Those birds look like Grackles. Starlings have short stubby tails with orange beaks and legs. Grackles have long tails with black bills and legs.

 

[Andy Hurley]

1 and 5 look like Greater Blue Eared as they have yellowish eyes and the darker blue comes back behind the eye.
2 +3 Look like Cape Glossy, but they have a mask in front and below the eye
4 I don't know the bill looks thin and brown + white under tail coverts, possibly juvenile Retz's Helmetshrike, but I'm not familiar with this species
6+7 Probably Cape Glossy

 

[Andy Hurley]

Hi... Those birds look like Grackles. Starlings have short stubby tails with orange beaks and legs. Grackles have long tails with black bills and legs.

Not in ZA

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Welcome to BF.

You're certainly not alone finding glossy starlings difficult, especially from photos. It's easier when you can hear them (Greater Blue-eared has a distinctive often uttered call), and have a feel for how their colours change as they turn in the light, and their size.

We could do with someone like Tib or Valery here I think, but my rough guesses would be

1. I (like Andy) also think it looks like Greater Blue-eared, but remember finding Cape was the common one in Pretoria
2. Agree looks like Cape
3. Pass! (Greater Blue-eared or Cape)
5. Greater Blue-eared
4. 6. and 7. wonder if you might have Black-bellied there, but could easily be imm Cape, and you'd have to be in the right part of Kruger for one in the case of 4.

 

[Andy Hurley]

Looking again at 4, I can see now that it can't be a juv. Retz's Helmetshrike as they have brown eyes, and are accompanied by adults, so you would have seen them together. Having never seen Black-bellied before, I only did a comparison with the illutration and didn't read the description. As Larry suggests Black-bellied is a good call as they only have red eyes during the breeding season, the rest of the time yellow orange.

 

[balbuzard26]

Thank you very much for your help