Pied Starling

Overview

The pied starling, or African pied starling (Lamprotornis bicolor), is a bird endemic to South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini. It is common across most of its range, though largely absent from arid northwest and eastern lowland areas of South Africa. The species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Adult plumage is mainly dully glossed black with a white lower belly and undertail.
• Features a white iris and yellow lower mandible.
• Measures approximately 27–28 cm (11 in) in length.
• Most familiar call is a skeer kerrra kerrra, accompanied by a soft warbling song.

Habitat

Found in open habitats such as grassland, karoo scrub, thornbush, and agricultural land. It is endemic to South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini, with a large estimated range of 790,000 km². The species is largely absent from the arid northwest and eastern lowlands of South Africa.

Diet

An omnivore that mainly eats insects, including many ants and termites, but also consumes seeds, berries, soft fruit such as grapes and figs, and human food discards. Foraging frequently occurs near livestock, where the birds feed on insects disturbed by animals and perch on cattle or sheep to remove ectoparasites.

Did you know?

This species practices cooperative breeding, where both parents are assisted by helpers, typically subadult or unmated birds, to feed the chicks. Nesting sites can be highly unusual, with one recorded instance of a nest being constructed in a wrecked ship 200 m from the shore.