Harriet Smith Photography

presents

"For The Love of Africa"

Burchell's Glossy Starlings stand with their heads flung back and their wings slightly dropped, they belt out a throaty, musical call. Up to 50 birds might assemble in non-breeding seasons. Starlings have large feet, well made for walking andwaddle rather than hop when on the ground. Humans are their biggest threat. The bird is at home in riverine forests and close to water bodies such as lakes, dams and streams.

Starlings are medium-sized birds, growing to 1 ft and 1/4 lb.  The head, throat and back are colored blue green while the bill and legs are colored black.   The eyes are brown.  Life span can be up to 15 to 20 years Burchell's Starling attacks  butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants aerially and  takes the prey to a secluded venue where it is killed, torn into small pieces and eaten. It forages food on the ground searching for termites, locusts, centipedes, other insects, small mammals like mice, berries, seeds, acacia flowers, and fruit. They are also quite adapt at stealing food from a picnic table.
 
The Burchell's Starling is a monogamous bird finding and breeding with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird builds its nest within a tree cavity just a few meters above the ground. The same nest is normally reused in the next nesting season.
 

Photographed and Copyrighted ©2005 - 2011 All Right Reserved By: Harriet Smith

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