Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – Cape Glossy Starling
Find out more about this feathered Highway resident below.
IN this article we feature a fairly common and very attractive bird, the Cape Glossy Starling which can be spotted across the entire Highway area.
Also read: Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – Black Cuckoo
Description
This is a medium to small sized bird at 23cm and 90g. It has a very uniform metallic blue colour with some parts such as the wings and tail having a metallic green tinge. It has a black bill and very bright orange-yellow eyes which are a feature of this bird. Another feature to look for are two rows of dark (black) spots on the wings. Males and females are alike and can’t easily be distinguished.
Distribution
The Cape Glossy Starling is found throughout southern Africa except the western parts although they are found in an area of the Northern Cape and along the coast of northern Namibia
Habitat
This species has adapted well to many different habitats but is unlikely to be found in an area where there are no trees.
Feeding
The Cape Glossy Starling feeds primarily on fruit and insects but will also opportunistically feed on anything that humans leave behind as they enjoy inspecting picnic baskets!
Breeding
This is a monogamous species and pairs for life. The nest is usually built in a cavity in a tree and both adults contribute to the nest building. They do tend to reuse the same nest for many years. Egg laying occurs in summer between September and February and a clutch will typically consist of two to six eggs. Both adults take turns to feed the chicks which take about 20 days to fledge.
Predators and threats
The population of Cape Glossy Starlings is quite healthy and they are not considered to be under any significant threat.
Local information
In the Highway area they are quite common in gardens, shopping centres and on the edges of our many forests.
Interesting facts
Although they are solitary nesters, they are very gregarious birds and they are known to form largish flocks to roost on trees or feed. This usually occurs outside of the breeding season.
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