Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Purple Starling
Lamprotornis purpureus
Purple Starling (Lamprotornis purpureus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Purple Starling (Lamprotornis purpureus) is a member of the Sturnidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 113 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 purpureus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 113 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Purple Starling is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Purple Starling is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Purple Starling (Lamprotornis purpureus) is a member of the Sturnidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, c.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 113 g, with a wing length of about 14.8 cm and a tail of around 7.5 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 3.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Purple Starling?
The Purple Starling is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 113 g.
Where does the Purple Starling live?
The Purple Starling is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, c, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Purple Starling belong to?
The Purple Starling (Lamprotornis purpureus) belongs to the Sturnidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Purple Starling eat?
The Purple Starling is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Purple Starling migrate?
The Purple Starling is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Purple 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 Purple Starling make?
1 real field recording of the Purple Starling — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Purple Starling's range?
The Purple Starling has a mapped global range of about 3.5 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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