Photo: Thom Haslam / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Long-tailed Glossy Starling
Lamprotornis caudatus
Long-tailed Glossy Starling (Lamprotornis caudatus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 7 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Long-tailed Glossy Starling (Lamprotornis caudatus) is a member of the Sturnidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 121 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Sturnidae Starlings, Rhabdornises
- Genus Lamprotornis
- Species caudatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 121 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Long-tailed Glossy Starling is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Long-tailed Glossy Starling is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Long-tailed Glossy Starling (Lamprotornis caudatus) is a species of bird in the Sturnidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF s Mauritania to Guinea-Bissau and e to Sudan and South Sudan.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 121 g, with a wing length of about 17.8 cm and a tail of around 29.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Long-tailed Glossy Starling?
The Long-tailed Glossy Starling is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 121 g.
Where does the Long-tailed Glossy Starling live?
The Long-tailed Glossy Starling is found across Africa with a range covering AF s Mauritania to Guinea-Bissau and e to Sudan and South Sudan, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Long-tailed Glossy Starling belong to?
The Long-tailed Glossy Starling (Lamprotornis caudatus) belongs to the Sturnidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Long-tailed Glossy Starling eat?
The Long-tailed Glossy Starling is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Long-tailed Glossy Starling migrate?
The Long-tailed Glossy Starling is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Long-tailed Glossy Starling endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Long-tailed Glossy Starling make?
1 real field recording of the Long-tailed Glossy Starling — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Long-tailed Glossy Starling's range?
The Long-tailed Glossy Starling has a mapped global range of about 2.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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