The greater blue-eared starling
or “greater blue-eared glossy-starling” (Lamprotornis chalybaeus) are so
spectacular to look at that the birder totally forgets about all identification
clues as soon as he or she gets her bino’s onto the bird. The bird adopts
seasonal migration and common species of open woodland bird. When you see this bird, first you’ll look at
his eyes, a vivid and psycho looking orange eye captivate your notions for a
while.
The bird is 22-cm long short
tailed bird, and glossy blue-green bird with a purple-blue belly and blue ear
patch its iris is bright yellow or orange. Both male and female are same
however; juvenile is duller and has blackish brown underparts. Sometimes the
bird is considered to be a separate subspecies, L. c. sycobius. Therefore, the lesser blue-eared starling is
alike to this species, nonetheless the blue of the belly does not extend
forward of the legs. The starling blue eared bird has a musical or grating
calls, however, the most familiar is a nasal squee-ar. Both male and female
built the nests comprising of a simple pad of dry grass and feathers placed in
a tree cavity, either natural or an old woodpecker or barbet hole.
The birds naturally have nests in
holes in trees, either natural or excavated by woodpeckers or barbets. The nest
normally have 3 to 5 eggs, mostly greenish blue with brown or purple spots and
hatch in 13 to 14 days. The chicks leave the nest normally in 23 days after
hatching. This attractive bird is parasitised by the great spotted cuckoo and
occasionally by the greater honeyguide. Though the global population size has
not been measured, but the species is reported to be common to abundant.
Moreover, this greater blue-eared
starling is highly outgoing and will form big flocks, often with other
starlings. However, its roosts, in reedbed, thorn bushes, or acacia, may also
be shared. The greater blue eared starling is an omnivore, taking invertebrates
seeds and berries, particularly figs, but is diet is mainly insects taken from
the ground. Furthermore, it will perch on livestock, feeding on insects
disturbed by the animals and sporadically removing ectoparasites. The birds are
native to the following countries, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso,
Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique,
Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegambia (Senegal and Gambia), Somalia,
South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Greater
Blue-eared Glossy Starling resembles the related Lesser Blue-eared Glossy
Starling.
