THERE are 14 species of Starlings in Southern Africa of which six can be found in the Highway area, and arguably, the Violet-backed Starling stands out as the most striking.
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Description
This is the smallest of the starlings found in the Highway area and is slightly bigger than a weaver bird. They average 18cm in length and approximately 45g in weight. The males are incredibly striking with iridescent purple-blue or plum-violet (depending on the intensity of light and how the light strikes them) upperparts and white underparts. The females are completely different with brown-streaked white bellies and darker, brown-streaked upperparts.
Distribution
The Violet-backed Starling is a migrant species and arrives in Southern Africa around the beginning of September and departs at the end of April or early May. They can be found in most parts of KwaZulu-Natal and also in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
Habitat
The Violet-backed Starling is generally found in pairs and seldom in flocks. They inhabit open woodlands, wooded parks, and in our area, you are likely to find them in one of our numerous riverine forests.
Feeding
This species eats both fruit (such as mulberries and the seeds of Stinkwoods) and insects which they often hawk in the air. They are partial to butterflies, bees, wasps and locusts.
Breeding
The Violet-backed Starlings are monogamous and pair for life. They nest primarily in cavities high up in trees but are known to also make themselves at home in riverbanks and hollow, wooden fence poles! They are picky about what they line their nest with, and their preferred leaves are those of the olive tree laid on a base of dung. The nest is built by both adults with the female doing all the incubating but both adults take turns to feed the young.
Predators and threats
This species is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are hunted by Peregrine Falcons, and their nests are sometimes parasitised by the Greater Honeyguide.
Local information
This is not a common species in the Highway area, but they do occur particularly in the riverine forests, so look out for them between October and April. You are sure to be delighted if you do spot them!
Interesting facts
The Violet-backed Starling has a repertoire of more than 15 types of different sounds and calls when communicating. They are not known for their singing ability, but they can mimic other noises including those of wild birds and the whistling of humans!
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