Lamprotornis is a large genus of glossy-starlings all of which occur in Africa south of the Sahara. They have glossy blue or green upper parts, which is due to hollow melanin granules arranged in a single layer near the feather barbule's surface. This unique arrangement led to some glossy starlings formerly placed in the genus Spreo being transferred to Lamprotornis, since they shared this feature (but see also below).
The genus Lamprotornis was introduced by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminckin 1820.[1] The type species was subsequently designated as the long-tailed glossy starling.[2]
The under parts of these species lack iridescence. They may be blue, purple, yellow or brown. Most Lamprotornis starlings have striking yellow or red irides and some have long tails.
These glossy starlings are found in a variety of habitats from forests to open woodland and gardens. They nest in tree holes, either natural, or made by woodpeckers or barbets, and some will use man-made structures. Most species are resident apart from seasonal or local movement, but Shelley's starling is migratory. Most species are gregarious outside the breeding season.
Lamprotornis glossy-starlings are omnivorous and mostly feed on the ground, although they will take fruit from trees. Some will feed on or near large mammals to find insects.
The genus contains 23 species.[3]
| Common Name | Scientific name | Image | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamprotornis nitens | Southern Africa | ||
| Lamprotornis chalybaeus | Senegal east to Ethiopia and south through eastern Africa to northeastern South Africa and Angola | ||
| Lamprotornis chloropterus | widespread in sub-Saharan Africa | ||
| Lamprotornis elisabeth | Kenya to Zimbabwe and Botswana | ||
| Lamprotornis chalcurus | Senegal through Nigeria to South Sudan and Kenya | ||
| Lamprotornis splendidus | widespread in western and central Africa | ||
| Lamprotornis ornatus | endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe | ||
| Lamprotornis iris (former Coccycolius iris) | Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast | ||
| Lamprotornis purpureus | tropical Africa from Senegal and northern Zaire east to Sudan and west Kenya | ||
| Lamprotornis purpuroptera | Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia to Tanzania | ||
| Lamprotornis caudatus | tropical Africa from Senegal east to Sudan. | ||
| Lamprotornis regius | Ethiopia and Somalia to northern Tanzania | ||
| Lamprotornis mevesii | southern Africa | ||
| Lamprotornis australis | southern Africa | ||
| Lamprotornis acuticaudus | southern central Africa | ||
| Lamprotornis superbus (former Spreo superbus) | eastern Africa | ||
| Lamprotornis hildebrandti (former Notauges hildebrandti) | Ethiopia and Somalia to Kenya. | ||
| Shelley's starling, | Lamprotornis shelleyi | eastern Africa | |
| Chestnut-bellied starling | Lamprotornis pulcher[4] (former Spreo pulcher) | Burkina Faso and western Africa | |
| Lamprotornis unicolor (former Spreo unicolor) | Kenya and Tanzania | ||
| Lamprotornis bicolor [5] (former Spreo bicolor) | South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland | ||
| Fischer's starling | Lamprotornis fischeri (former Spreo fischeri) | southern Ethiopia and Somalia to eastern Kenya and Tanzania | |
| Lamprotornis albicapillus (former Spreo albicapillus) | Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. | ||
The limits of this genus have seen recent revision following phylogenetic analysis with molecular markers. For example, the black-bellied starling is now placed in a separate genus Notopholia. On the other hand, genera such as Coccycolius, Spreo and Compsarus were found nested in Lamprotornis and have been merged.[6] [3]