Golden-breasted Starling
Photo © Darren Obbard
Photo © Darren Obbard — CC BY 4.0 — Source: iNaturalist photo #354973685The golden-breasted starling (Lamprotornis regius), also known as royal starling, is a medium-sized passerine in the starling family. == Subspecies == Lamprotornis regius magnificus (van Someren, 1924) Lamprotornis regius regius (Reichenow, 1879) == Distribution and habitat == The golden-breasted starling has a very large range. It is distributed in Northeastern Africa, from Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and northern Tanzania. These birds inhabit the grassland, savannah, the thickets of acacias, dry-thorn forests and shrubland. == Status and conservation == Widespread throughout its habitat range, the population trend of the golden-breasted starling appears to be stable. The species is evaluated as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. == Description == Lamprotornis regius can reach a body length of about 35 cm (14 in). The adult has a metallic green head and upper back, bright golden yellow breast and belly, dark bill and legs, white iris and metallic violet blue on wings, back, neck and its long tail feathers. Both sexes are similar. The young are duller than the adult. == Behaviour == The golden-breasted starling is a social animal, living in groups of three to twelve individuals. Adults can be found from January to June and from…
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