Purple Starling (Lamprotornis purpureus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Purple Starling

Lamprotornis purpureus (Müller, PLS, 1776)

≈27 cmLength113 gWeight

The adult is stocky, with a metallic purple head and body and bright green wings.

Busiest months: January–March and November · Most records: Gambia, Ghana, Senegal

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Adult’s head and body metallic purple
  2. Adult’s wings bright green
  3. Adult’s eyes yellow
  4. Short tail

Male, female and young

Sexes similar; juveniles are much duller, with gray underparts and a brown iris.

Voice

Starling-like shrieks and chatter; very noisy in flocks.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January–March and November · Most records: Gambia, Ghana, Senegal

Purple Starling has been recorded at 112 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 17 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Campement de WassadouSenegal387 records
  2. Amurum Forest ReserveNigeria239 records
  3. Sakumono LagoonGhana160 records
More places
  1. Shai Hills Resource ReserveGhana146 records
  2. Mole NPGhana110 records
  3. Tono Dam & vicinityGhana102 records
  4. Tendaba – Tendaba CampGambia100 records
  5. Mole NP – Samole Loop & waterholeGhana97 records
  6. Parc Urbain Bangr-WeoogoBurkina Faso90 records
  7. Senegambia Hotel Gardens and BeachGambia90 records

Countries and regions with the most records

GambiaGhanaSenegalNigeriaUgandaCameroonBurkina FasoNiger

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The purple starling (Lamprotornis purpureus), also known as the purple glossy starling, is a member of the starling family of birds.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Purple Starling?

The Purple Starling is about ≈27 cm long and weighs around 113 g.

Where does the Purple Starling live?

Its breeding range: Africa: western, central. It is most often recorded in Gambia, Ghana and Senegal.

When is the best time to see the Purple Starling?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, March and November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Purple Starling endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Purple Starling as Least Concern.

What does the Purple Starling eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Purple Starling in?

It belongs to the family Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
≈27 cm
Weight
113 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
148 mm
Tail
75 mm
Bill
31 mm
Tarsus
34 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: western, central

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Starlings, Rhabdornises Sturnidae
Genus
Lamprotornis

Other birds in the genus Lamprotornis

Cape StarlingCape StarlingLamprotornis nitensGreater Blue-eared StarlingGreater Blue-eared StarlingLamprotornis chalybaeusLesser Blue-eared StarlingLesser Blue-eared StarlingLamprotornis chloropterusBronze-tailed StarlingBronze-tailed StarlingLamprotornis chalcurusSplendid StarlingSplendid StarlingLamprotornis splendidusPrincipe StarlingPrincipe StarlingLamprotornis ornatusEmerald StarlingEmerald StarlingLamprotornis irisRüppell's StarlingRüppell's StarlingLamprotornis purpuropteraLong-tailed Glossy StarlingLong-tailed Glossy StarlingLamprotornis caudatusGolden-breasted StarlingGolden-breasted StarlingLamprotornis regiusMeves's StarlingMeves's StarlingLamprotornis mevesiiBurchell's StarlingBurchell's StarlingLamprotornis australis
Purple Starling

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Shamgar Brook. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages