Cape Starling

Identification

The Cape Starling is a compact bird, measuring about 25 cm in length and weighing around 100 grams. Its most striking feature is its brilliantly glossy plumage, which gives the species its alternative names of red-shouldered glossy-starling or Cape glossy starling. The head is distinctly blue with darker ear coverts, while the upper parts of the body display a beautiful greenish-blue colouration. Two subspecies are recognised: L. n. phoenicopterus, which is widespread across Southern Africa, and L. n. culminator, found in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, which is larger with greener wing and tail plumage and glossy secondary remiges on both vanes.

Beyond its visual appeal, the Cape Starling is also notable for its lengthy warbling song, which often incorporates imitations of sounds from its environment—a delightful characteristic that adds to its charm for birdwatchers and nature photographers.

Range & Habitat

The Cape Starling is found throughout the southern part of Africa, with a range encompassing the extreme south of Gabon, the west and south of Angola, the extreme south of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and South Africa. The species is a vagrant to the Republic of the Congo but does not breed there. In all other countries within its range, it is a resident, non-migratory species, with a total extent of occurrence of approximately 3,000,000 square kilometres.

This starling favours open woodland, plantations, savannah, bushveld, and rough grassland, along with parks and gardens. Notably, it is quite numerous in the central Kalahari where isolated trees occur, and is not associated with any particular plant type. However, it avoids dense forest and open pasture, requiring trees for roosting and nesting.

Behaviour & Diet

The Cape Starling is a highly gregarious species, forming large flocks during the non-breeding season. It is habituated to humans and frequently forages on the ground alongside other starling species, including the pied starling, common starling, greater blue-eared starling, and several others. This social feeding behaviour makes it relatively easy to observe in suitable habitat.

Its diet is remarkably diverse and opportunistic. Cape Starlings feed on fruit, insects, and nectar, and have developed the interesting behaviour of picking ectoparasites from the backs of larger animals. They will also visit bird tables for scraps, demonstrating their adaptability to human-modified landscapes.

Best Time & Places to See It

The Cape Starling is resident throughout most of Southern Africa, making it available for viewing year-round in suitable habitat. However, breeding activity occurs mainly between October and February, with breeding potentially continuing into April in Namibia, which may offer opportunities to observe nesting behaviour and family groups.

The species is widespread and numerous across open woodlands, bushveld, and parks throughout Southern Africa. The central Kalahari is a particularly good location where isolated trees provide suitable roosting and feeding habitat. Given its habituation to humans, Cape Starlings can often be found in suburban gardens and parks across the region.

Photography Tips

The Cape Starling's glossy plumage presents exciting photographic opportunities, particularly when light catches the brilliant blue and greenish-blue colouration of the head and upper body. Bright, clear conditions will best showcase the bird's iridescent qualities. Since these birds are gregarious and often form flocks on the ground, photographers can position themselves to capture multiple birds in their natural foraging behaviour.

The species' habituation to humans makes it relatively approachable in parks and gardens, and its tendency to forage on the ground or visit bird tables offers opportunities for ground-level or close-range photography. Early morning light is particularly effective for highlighting the glossy plumage details that make this species so visually distinctive.