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Cape Starling Lamprotornis nitens Scientific name definitions

Adrian J. F. Craig and C. J. Feare
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2009

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

25 cm; 75–105 g. Fairly large, short-tailed glossy starling with rather uniform appearance. Head is glossy blue, blacker on ear-coverts; upperparts blue-green with strong iridescence; wing blue-green, dark blue spots at tips of some median and greater coverts, distinct bronzy-purple epaulet, primaries P6-P9 strongly indented on inner webs; tail glossy blue-green; throat and upper breast have blue iridescence, lower breast, belly and undertail-coverts with greener gloss; iris bright orange-yellow; bill and legs black. Sexes alike. Juvenile is dull-plumaged, with matt black underparts, iris initially grey; at three months iris dull yellow, acquiring adult colour after six months.

Systematics History

Birds from Namibia E to Zimbabwe and NE South Africa often separated as race phoenicopterus and those from E South Africa as culminator on basis of size and colour (larger and greener); geographical variation, however, appears clinal, with intergradation between adjoining populations throughout species’ range. Treated as monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

From around mouth of R Congo in extreme W DRCongo (1, 2) S through W & S Angola to SW Zambia and Zimbabwe, S to Namibia, Botswana, South Africa (except S & SW Cape region and dry W interior), W lowlands of Lesotho, Swaziland and S Mozambique.

Habitat

Savanna woodland and riverine vegetation; in arid areas restricted to taller trees along watercourses. Also forest edge, plantations, parks and gardens. From sea-level to 1800 m.

Movement

Presumed resident; in one garden, ringed individuals remained on same territory for four years.

Diet and Foraging

Omnivorous; diet chiefly fruit and insects, but also other animal food including mammalian carrion, ticks (Acarina) and millipedes (Diplopoda); takes bread and bone meal at birdtables. Fruit such as Ficus, Lycium, Rhus, Olea, Scutia myrtina, Azima tetracantha, Diospyros pubescens, Atriplex bacifera; nectar of Erythrina caffra, Boscia albitrunca, Protea subvestita, Grevillea, and numerous species of Aloe also taken. Insects recorded as eaten are wasps and ants (Hymenoptera), including the ant Plagiolepis custodiens (filled with honeydew), grasshoppers (Orthoptera), termites (Isoptera), beetles (Coleoptera), caterpillars (Lepidoptera) and flies (Diptera). Forages both in trees and bushes and on ground. Often feeds in association with grazing ungulates such as cattle, blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), impala (Aepyceros melampus) and white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum); may perch on the animals to hawk flies, and gleans ectoparasites from cattle, sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) and gemsbok (Oryx gazella). Usually in groups of up to c. 20 individuals, sometimes in much larger flocks; occasionally joins mixed-species flocks of insectivorous birds feeding in woodland in South Africa. Roosts in small groups in trees.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song a sustained warbling with varied notes, and may include imitation of other bird species; sings throughout year, in chorus at roost-sites in morning and evening, also often at midday when perched in shady tree; male sings near nest-site while female incubating. Alarm call a harsh "kaarr"; flight call a rolling "turrrreeu". Loud swishing wing noise in flight.

Breeding

Breeds Sept–Feb/Mar in S Africa, and probably Feb–Mar in Angola. Monogamous. Co-operative breeder, most helpers probably offspring of breeding pair; some remain as helpers for up to three years. Nest built by both sexes, material including horse and cow dung, dry grass, feathers, and shed snakeskins, helpers may bring feathers to female during incubation, placed usually in tree hole, including old hole of woodpecker (Picidae) or barbet (Capitonidae), rarely hole in riverbank; man-made structure such as fence post, hollow metal post or pipe sometimes used, or nest sited under roof or even in wooden postbox in daily use; twigs and other material may be used to fill up cavity until nest closer to entrance; pairs using nestboxes in Namibia selected those more than 2 m above ground. Clutch 3 eggs, pale greenish-blue, speckled with light red; incubation by female alone, period 12–14 days; young fed by both parents, and by at least three helpers, nestling period c. 20 days. Nests parasitized by Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) in Namibia and probably elsewhere; one record of nest containing egg of Greater Honeyguide (Indicator indicator).

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Widespread and common in much of range. Population in Kruger National Park, in NE South Africa, estimated at more than 32,000 individuals, in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (SW Botswana-South Africa border) at 16,000 or more, and in S Mozambique at more than 40,000 birds. Recorded in S PRCongo and possibly in Gabon. No breeding records from Zambia. Common in many protected areas.
Distribution of the Cape Starling - Range Map
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  • Migration
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Distribution of the Cape Starling

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Craig, A. J. F. and C. J. Feare (2020). Cape Starling (Lamprotornis nitens), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.capgls1.01
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