Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Superb Starling

Lamprotornis superbus Rüppell, 1845

18–19 cmLength65 gWeight

The adult has a blue-green breast and orange-red belly separated by a single white band.

Busiest months: February and November · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Adult has a white band between the blue breast and orange-red belly
  2. Adult’s head black; back and wings have a blue-green metallic gloss
  3. Adult’s eyes creamy-white
  4. Adult’s undertail-coverts white

Male, female and young

Juveniles have dull plumage, with at most a faint trace of the white breast band, and their eyes are initially brown.

Voice

The song is loud and prolonged, interspersed with trills and chatter.

Where and when it's recorded

Superb Starling has been recorded at 124 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nairobi NPKenya1,880 records
  2. Tarangire NPTanzania1,486 records
  3. Lake Nakuru NPKenya1,441 records
More places
  1. Amboseli NPKenya1,233 records
  2. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania1,206 records
  3. Serengeti NPTanzania944 records
  4. Samburu NRKenya823 records
  5. Buffalo Springs NRKenya778 records
  6. Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya626 records
  7. Maasai Mara NRKenya552 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaTanzaniaEthiopiaUgandaSomaliaUnited Arab EmiratesMalaysiaChina

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

Questions

How big is the Superb Starling?

The Superb Starling is about 18–19 cm long and weighs around 65 g.

Where does the Superb Starling live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Ethiopia and Somalia to Tanzania. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

When is the best time to see the Superb Starling?

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

Is the Superb Starling endangered?

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

What does the Superb Starling eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Superb Starling in?

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

At a glance

Length
18–19 cm
Weight
65 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
118 mm
Tail
65 mm
Bill
22 mm
Tarsus
31 mm

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

Range

Africa: Ethiopia and Somalia to Tanzania

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 irisPurple StarlingPurple StarlingLamprotornis purpureusRüppell's StarlingRüppell's StarlingLamprotornis purpuropteraLong-tailed Glossy StarlingLong-tailed Glossy StarlingLamprotornis caudatusGolden-breasted StarlingGolden-breasted StarlingLamprotornis regiusMeves's StarlingMeves's StarlingLamprotornis mevesii
Superb Starling

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

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