Emerald Starling

ANIMAL:
Emerald Starling Lamprotornis iris

Type of Animal:
Songbird

Habitat:
Savanna, grassland, lowlands, woodland, orchard bush, forest edge, agricultural areas

Location(s):
N Sierra Leone, extreme NW Liberia, E Guinea, C Ivory Coast

Appearance:
Mostly metallic green except for black legs & purple underbelly/ear coverts, juveniles brown below w/ mixed brown-green above & green wings, one of smallest starling species, narrow beak

Food/Diet:
Fruit, berries, seeds, grains, vegetables, insects, eggs

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos, wildlife parks, & aviculture

Lifestyle:
Flocks of 15-20 birds

Additional Info:

Called:
Male: Cock
Female: Hen
Young: Chick
Group: Flock
 
Weight:
Less than 1 oz

Gestation:
2 weeks

Life Span:
7-14 years

Height:
7-7.5 in

Body Length:
7-7.5 in

Tail Length:
1.75-1.875 in

Main predators are predatory birds, snakes, & carnivorous/omnivorous mammals.
 
Cup-shaped nests usually built in tree cavities/stumps/trunks.
 
Females have brood patches on stomach helping transfer body heat to eggs.
 
Also called the Iris Glossy Starling.
 
Have calls for pre-flight, danger, & keeping in contact.
 
Sexually mature at 6 months old.
 
Chicks fledge at 3 weeks & leave nest as young as 5 weeks but often stay for a few more months. Older siblings sometimes act as helpers for younger siblings.
 
Females usually lay 2-4 reddish-brown patched blue eggs.
 
Though limited in range, they’re quite common.
 
Courtship involves passing green vegetation back & forth.

Fun Fact(s):
Has special muscles allowing opening of beak to probe soil for insects/seeds.
 
Sometimes kept as pets.

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