3-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - PURPLE STARLING (Lamprotornis purpureus)

The purple starling (Lamprotornis purpureus), estorninho azul(argentina, peru, colombia), melro metálico (brazil) also known as the purple glossy starling, is a member of the starling family of birds.

It is a resident breeder in tropical Africa from Senegal and north Zaire east to Sudan and west Kenya. This common passerine is typically found in open woodland and cultivation.

The adults of these stocky 22–23 cm long birds have a metallic purple head and body, and glossy green wings. They have a short tail and a yellow eye. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are much duller, with grey underparts and a brown iris.

This is a gregarious and noisy bird, with typical starling squeaks and chattering.

The purple starling builds a nest in a hole. The normal clutch is two eggs.

Like most starlings, the purple starling is omnivorous, eating fruit and insects.

A chunky, large, short-tailed starling. Mostly iridescent purple, with a greenish back and a huge yellow-orange eye. Found in a wide variety of savanna habitats, from moist broadleaf woodland to dry thorn savanna and thornscrub. Usually in flocks, which can be large and often include other species of starlings. Similar to other savanna-dwelling starlings, but easily separated by the huge eye and the abundance of purple in the plumage. The vocalizations include liquid swirling calls, nasal squeals, and simple chatters.