Lamprotornis
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[Photo] Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis caudatus. Thomas J. Haslam, http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjhaslam/ In January 2007 at Parc Forestier de Hann, Dakar, Senegal. Licensed under CC-BY 2.5 and GFDL.

Copyright (C) 2007 Thomas J. Haslam Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".

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 under parts of these species lacks 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 used 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.

Species in taxonomic order
Cape Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis nitens
Greater Blue-eared Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis chalybaeus
Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis chloropterus
Southern Blue-eared Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis elisabeth
Bronze-tailed Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis chalcurus
Splendid Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis splendidus
Principe Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis ornatus
Purple Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis purpureus
Rueppell's Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis purpuroptera
Long-tailed Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis caudatus
Meves' Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis mevesii
Burchell's Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis australis
Sharp-tailed Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis acuticaudus
Superb Starling, Lamprotornis superbus
Hildebrandt's Starling, Lamprotornis hildebrandti
Shelley's Starling, Lamprotornis shelleyi
Chestnut-bellied Starling, Lamprotornis pulcher
Purple-headed Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis purpureiceps
Copper-tailed Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis cupreocauda

The limits of this genus require revision. For example, the Black-bellied Glossy-starling is sometimes placed in a separate genus Notopholia, and it (and possibly others) appears to be indeed well distinct. On the other hand, genera such as Coccycolius, Spreo and Compsarus are sometimes included in Lamprotolius.(Zuccon et al. 2006)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamprotornis

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