- Lamprotornis hildebrandti
Identification
18cm.
- Dark glossy blue forehead and crown
- Bronze-green half-collar on nape
- Dark glossy blue upperparts
- Bronze-green wing with dark spots
- Glossy blue-green tail
- Dark glossy purple chin, throat, ear-coverts and upper breast
- Light orange-buff lower breast and upper belly
- Rufous lower belly, flanks, thighs and undertail-coverts
- Orange-red eye
- Black bill and legs
Sexes similar. Juveniles have dull charcoal-grey upperparts and pale chestnut-brown underparts, a brown eye, a dull yellow eyering and a dull orange-yellow bill.
Similar species
Distinguished from commoner Superb Starling by lack of white breast band and in having a paler breast than the belly. Shelley's Starling has much darker rufous underparts.
Distribution
From north-central Kenya south to northern Tanzania.
Fairly common to uncommon in its range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Has been considered conspecific with Shelley's Starling and both have been included in a superspecies with Chestnut-bellied Starling.
Habitat
Open bush and open woodland. Also around cattle and settlements. Occurs at 500 - 2200m.
Behaviour
Feeds mainly on insects (like beetles and grasshoppers), may also take fruit.
Forages in pairs or small flocks on the ground. Feeds often together with Superb Starling, Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling or Wattled Starling.
Breeding season from March to May and October to December, May to July on Laikipia Plateau in Kenya. Co-operative breeding reported. The nest is placed in a tree hole or in an artificial hole (in a lamppost or telegraphe pole). Lays 3 - 4 eggs. Brood parasitism by Great Spotted Cuckoo reported.
Presumably a resident species.
References
- Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Hildebrandt's Starling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 16 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Hildebrandt%27s_Starling
