Lamprotornis

Last updated

Lamprotornis
Greater blue-eared starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus nordmanni) Kruger.jpg
Greater blue-eared starling,
L. chalybaeus normanni
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
Genus: Lamprotornis
Temminck, 1820
Type species
Turdus caudatus [1]
Statius Muller, 1776
Species

About 20, see text

Lamprotornis is a large genus of glossy-starlings all of which occur in Africa south of the Sahara. They have glossy blue or green upper parts, which is due to hollow melanin granules arranged in a single layer near the feather barbule's surface. This unique arrangement led to some glossy starlings formerly placed in the genus Spreo being transferred to Lamprotornis, since they shared this feature (but see also below).

Contents

The genus Lamprotornis was introduce by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1820. [2] The type species was subsequently designated as the long-tailed glossy starling. [3]

The under parts of these species lack iridescence. They may be blue, purple, yellow or brown. Most Lamprotornis starlings have striking yellow or red irides and some have long tails.

These glossy starlings are found in a variety of habitats from forests to open woodland and gardens. They nest in tree holes, either natural, or made by woodpeckers or barbets, and some will use man-made structures. Most species are resident apart from seasonal or local movement, but Shelley's starling is migratory. Most species are gregarious outside the breeding season.

Lamprotornis glossy-starlings are omnivorous and mostly feed on the ground, although they will take fruit from trees. Some will feed on or near large mammals to find insects.

Species

The genus contains 23 species. [4]

Common NameScientific nameImageDistribution
Cape starling Lamprotornis nitens Cape starling (Lamprotornis nitens) Kruger.jpg Southern Africa
Greater blue-eared starling Lamprotornis chalybaeus Greater blue-eared starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus nordmanni) Kruger.jpg Senegal east to Ethiopia and south through eastern Africa to northeastern South Africa and Angola
Lesser blue-eared starling Lamprotornis chloropterus Lesser Blue-eared Starling (Lamprotornis chloropterus), Koubalan, Senegal.jpg widespread in sub-Saharan Africa
Miombo blue-eared starling Lamprotornis elisabeth Naturalis Biodiversity Center - RMNH.AVES.37698 1 - Lamprotornis chloropterus elisabeth Stresemann, 1924 - Sturnidae - bird skin specimen.jpeg Kenya to Zimbabwe and Botswana
Bronze-tailed starling Lamprotornis chalcurus Lamprotornis chalcurus by Ron Knight at flickr.com 8080028430 aab9a80151 o.jpg Senegal through Nigeria to South Sudan and Kenya
Splendid starling Lamprotornis splendidus Splendid Glossy Starling-Kakum N.P.-Ghana, Original by Francesco Veronesi, Dec. 07, 2014.jpg widespread in western and central Africa
Principe starling Lamprotornis ornatus Principe glossy starling (Lamprotornis ornatus).jpg endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe
Emerald starling Lamprotornis iris

(former Coccycolius iris)
Iris Glossy Starling - side color.jpg Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast
Purple starling Lamprotornis purpureus Purple Glossy-Starling (Lamprotornis purpureus) - Gambia.jpg tropical Africa from Senegal and northern Zaire east to Sudan and west Kenya
Rüppell's starling Lamprotornis purpuroptera Lamprotornis purpuropterus Rueppell's Glossy Starling.JPG Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia to Tanzania
Long-tailed glossy starling Lamprotornis caudatus Lamprotornis caudatus -Dakar -Senegal-2007.jpg tropical Africa from Senegal east to Sudan.
Golden-breasted starling Lamprotornis regius Golden-breasted Starling Cosmopsarus regius Back 1000px.jpg Ethiopia and Somalia to northern Tanzania
Meves's starling Lamprotornis mevesii Lamprotornis mevesii 107565583.jpg southern Africa
Burchell's starling Lamprotornis australis Burchell's Starling (Lamprotornis australis) (16394703987).jpg southern Africa
Sharp-tailed starling Lamprotornis acuticaudus Lamprotornis acuticaudus, Cuanavale-rivier, Birding Weto, a.jpg southern central Africa
Superb starling Lamprotornis superbus

(former Spreo superbus)
Superb Starling Portrait.jpg eastern Africa
Hildebrandt's starling Lamprotornis hildebrandti

(former Notauges hildebrandti)
Lamprotornis hildebrandti -Tanzania-8-2c (cropped).jpg Ethiopia and Somalia to Kenya.
Shelley's starling,Lamprotornis shelleyi Lamprotornis shelleyi, Omo South Ethiopia, Lip Kee 2015 ((CC BY-SA 2.0).jpg eastern Africa
Chestnut-bellied starling Lamprotornis pulcher [5]

(former Spreo pulcher)
Chestnut-bellied starling 2 cropped.jpg Burkina Faso and western Africa
Ashy starling Lamprotornis unicolor

(former Spreo unicolor)
Cosmopsarus unicolor (Serengeti, 2009).jpg Kenya and Tanzania
Pied starling Lamprotornis bicolor [6]

(former Spreo bicolor)
Lamprotornis bicolor -Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Pretoria, South Africa -adult-8.jpg South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland
Fischer's starling Lamprotornis fischeri

(former Spreo fischeri)
Fisher's Starling - Samburu - Kenya S4E4497 (22382989627).jpg southern Ethiopia and Somalia to eastern Kenya and Tanzania
White-crowned starling Lamprotornis albicapillus

(former Spreo albicapillus)
Spreo albicapillus.jpg Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.

The limits of this genus have seen recent revision following phylogenetic analysis with molecular markers. For example, the black-bellied starling is now placed in a separate genus Notopholia. On the other hand, genera such as Coccycolius , Spreo and Compsarus were found nested in Lamprotornis and have been merged. [7] [4]

Related Research Articles

The Old World warblers are a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. They are not closely related to the New World warblers. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into Cisticolidae and the kinglets into Regulidae. In the past 20–30 years they have been the subject of much research and many species are now placed into other families, including the Acrocephalidae, Cettiidae, Phylloscopidae, and Megaluridae. In addition some species have been moved into existing families or have not yet had their placement fully resolved. Only a small number of warblers, in just two genera, are now retained in the family Sylviidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine creeper</span> Genus of birds

The Philippine creepers or rhabdornises are small passerine birds and form the genus Rhabdornis. They are endemic to the Philippines. They do not migrate, other than to make local movements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mimid</span> Family of birds

The mimids are the New World family of passerine birds, Mimidae, that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. As their name suggests, these birds are notable for their vocalization, especially some species' remarkable ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors. They are commonly referred to as mimic thrushes but are not, in fact, thrushes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starling</span> Family of birds

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae, common name of Sturnid. The Sturnidae are named for the genus Sturnus, which in turn comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. The family contains 128 species which are divided into 36 genera. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent plumage. Starlings are native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as northern Australia and the islands of the tropical Pacific. Several European and Asian species have been introduced to these areas, as well as North America, Hawaii, and New Zealand, where they generally compete for habitats with native birds and are considered to be invasive species. The starling species familiar to most people in Europe and North America is the common starling, and throughout much of Asia and the Pacific, the common myna is indeed common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myna</span> Common name for several species of birds

The mynas are a group of birds in the starling family (Sturnidae). This is a group of passerine birds which are native to Iran and Southern Asia, especially Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Several species have been introduced to areas like North America, Australia, South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand, especially the common myna, which is often regarded as an invasive species. It is often known as "Selarang" and "Teck Meng" in Malay and Chinese respectively in Singapore, due to their high population there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxpecker</span> Genus of birds

The oxpeckers are two species of bird which make up the genus Buphagus, and family Buphagidae. The oxpeckers were formerly usually treated as a subfamily, Buphaginae, within the starling family, Sturnidae, but molecular phylogenetic studies have consistently shown that they form a separate lineage that is basal to the sister clades containing the Sturnidae and the Mimidae. Oxpeckers are endemic to the savanna of Sub-Saharan Africa.

<i>Serinus</i> Genus of birds

Serinus is a genus of small birds in the finch family Fringillidae found in West Asia, Europe and Africa. The birds usually have some yellow in their plumage. The genus was introduced in 1816 by the German naturalist Carl Ludwig Koch. Its name is Neo-Latin for "canary-yellow".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-billed oxpecker</span> Species of bird

The yellow-billed oxpecker is a passerine bird in the family Buphagidae. It was previously placed in the starling and myna family, Sturnidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-tailed starling</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-tailed starling, also called grey-headed starling and grey-headed myna is a member of the starling family. It is a resident or partially migratory species found in wooded habitats in India and Southeast Asia. The species name is after the distribution of a former subspecies in the Malabar region. While the chestnut-tailed starling is a winter visitor to peninsular India, the closely related resident breeding population with a white head is now treated as a full species, the Malabar starling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-billed oxpecker</span> Species of bird

The red-billed oxpecker is a passerine bird in the oxpecker family, Buphagidae. It is native to the eastern savannah of sub-Saharan Africa, from the Central African Republic east to South Sudan and south to northern and eastern South Africa. It is more widespread than the yellow-billed oxpecker in Southern Africa, where their ranges overlap.

<i>Acridotheres</i> Genus of birds

Acridotheres is a genus of starlings, the "typical" mynas, which are tropical members of the family Sturnidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-cheeked starling</span> Species of bird

The white-cheeked starling or grey starling is a passerine bird of the starling family. It is native to eastern Asia where it is a common and well-known bird in much of its range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-bellied canary</span> Species of bird

The white-bellied canary is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is dry savanna.

<i>Schoenicola</i> Genus of birds

Schoenicola is a genus of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. There are two species, both from peninsular India. The genus has been placed in the subfamily Megalurinae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Locustellidae</span> Family of birds

Locustellidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler "wastebin" family. It contains the grass warblers, grassbirds, and the Bradypterus "bush warblers". These birds occur mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. The family name is sometimes given as Megaluridae, but Locustellidae has priority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-collared starling</span> Species of bird

The black-collared starling is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. Its plumage is black and white, with a black collar. It is found in southern China and most of mainland Southeast Asia, and has been introduced to Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. Its habitats include grassland, dry forest and human settlements. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as being of least concern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-cheeked starling</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-cheeked starling is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It breeds in Japan and the Russian islands of Sakhalin and Kuriles; it winters in Taiwan, the Philippines and northern Borneo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-shouldered starling</span> Species of bird

The white-shouldered starling is a species of bird in the starling family Sturnidae. It breeds in southern China and northern Vietnam; it winters in Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daurian starling</span> Species of bird

The Daurian starling, or purple-backed starling, is a species of bird in the starling family found in the eastern Palearctic from eastern Mongolia and southeastern Russia to North Korea and central China.

<i>Agropsar</i> Genus of birds

Agropsar is a genus of Asian birds in the family Sturnidae. It is sometimes merged with Sturnus or Sturnia

References

  1. "Sturnidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  2. Temminck, Coenraad Jacob (1820). Manuel d'ornithologie, ou, Tableau systématique des oiseaux qui se trouvent en Europe (in French). Vol. Part 1 (2nd ed.). Paris: H. Cousin. p. 55 (LV).
  3. Dickinson, E.C.; Christidis, L., eds. (2014). The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Vol. 2: Passerines (4th ed.). Eastbourne, UK: Aves Press. p. 377. ISBN   978-0-9568611-2-2.
  4. 1 2 Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (2024). "Nuthatches, Wallcreeper, treecreepers, spotted creepers, mockingbirds, starlings, oxpeckerss". IOC World Bird List . 14.2. International Ornithological Congress. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  5. Wilkinson, R.; Brown, A. E. (1984). "Effect of Helpers on the Feeding Rates of Nestlings in the Chestnut-Bellied Starling Spreo pulcher". Journal of Animal Ecology. 53 (1): 301–310. Bibcode:1984JAnEc..53..301W. doi:10.2307/4358. ISSN   0021-8790. JSTOR   4358.
  6. Sweijd, Neville; Craig, Adrian J. F. K. (1991). "Histological Basis of Age-Related Changes in Iris Color in the African Pied Starling (Spreo bicolor)". The Auk. 108 (1): 53–59. ISSN   0004-8038. JSTOR   4088047.
  7. Zuccon, Dario; Cibois, Alice; Pasquet, Eric; Ericson, Per G. P. (2006-11-01). "Nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data reveal the major lineages of starlings, mynas and related taxa". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 41 (2): 333–344. Bibcode:2006MolPE..41..333Z. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.05.007. ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   16806992.