Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Astonishingly blue bird...

I've seen this bird before around the places where I lived pre-Baboonland, but I'd never been able to take pictures of it. The metallic blue-green feathers are quite extraordinary!



A couple of days ago, we were visited by two of these outstanding animals:



The yellow inquisitive eye is almost a bit unsettling... And here the beast seems almost menacing!


I'll ask for help identifying this extraordinary bird and will add the information as soon as I get it. (my connection is quite slow and whimsical, so I need friends to do research for me at times. Living in the bush is not 100% perfect, but what is, in our world?)

After consulting a knowledgeable friend and a few online resources, I've come to the conclusion that it is probably a Greater Blue-eared Starling / Lamprotornis chalybaeus / Choucador à oreillons bleus.

Another source, much closer to home since it was birding notes from scholars (?) visiting Shai Hills Nature Reserve a stone throw from our place, identify this as a Purple (glossy) Starling / Lamprotornis purpureus / Choucador pourpré.

I tend to be willing to agree with them. 30/05/2014: After checking with my new bedside book (Les Oiseaux de l'Ouest Africain, Delachaux & Niestlé), I think I can confidently confirm it's indeed a Purple glossy starling / Lamprotornis purpureus / Merle métallique pourpré.

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