Overview
A burst of shimmering blue, green and copper may announce a superb starling landing nearby, often accompanied by a lively chorus of whistles, trills and chattering calls. Few birds brighten Tanzania’s dry landscapes quite so dramatically.
Superb starlings are common across northern Tanzania, where they inhabit acacia savannah, open woodland, grassland and areas around lodges, camps and settlements. Their confidence around people often allows unusually close views, particularly where crumbs or insects attract them to picnic areas.
They spend much of their time foraging on the ground for insects, seeds and fallen fruit before returning to exposed branches, rocks or termite mounds. Highly social, they live in groups with complex relationships and may cooperate when defending territories and raising young.
Behaviour & How to Identify
Look for a compact starling with glossy blue-green upperparts, a dark head, a narrow white breastband and rich orange-chestnut underparts. The pale eye contrasts sharply with the dark face, while sunlight can transform the iridescent feathers from blue to turquoise, green or violet.
Superb starlings often forage in groups, walking and hopping across open ground in search of beetles, grasshoppers and other invertebrates. Fruit, berries, seeds and occasional food scraps are also eaten.
Their social system is unusually complex. Groups may include several breeding pairs and non-breeding helpers that assist with guarding nests and feeding chicks. Long-term research has also shown that help may be exchanged between unrelated birds over successive breeding attempts.
Interesting facts
Their colours are created by feather structure. Light reflecting from microscopic structures in the feathers produces the brilliant metallic blue and green sheen.
They raise young cooperatively. Parents may receive help from other members of the group with feeding and defending their chicks.
They are famously confident around people. Superb starlings readily forage near camps, lodges and picnic areas, but they should not be deliberately fed.