— insectivorous

— usually non-migratory

— males are polygamous

— females build a discreet nest deep in the grass

— Africa is probably the ancestral home of this group

Superb Starling

— very common & gregarious

— glossy blue with few markings - orange breast & white band

— Starlings occur naturally only in the Old World

— breed 'on the wing'

— perched while hunting

— swoop down on prey to feed

— eat it on ground or return to perch & batter before swallowing

— get their name from their impressive courtship flight - a noisy rolling dive

— an abundant and tame bird

— the smallest African bee-eater

— eats insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets in the air

— removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface

— glean insects from the foliage

— often tame and vocal but usually unobtrusive

— males patrol and defend territory with loud calls and songs

— have an investigative and confiding nature

— will readily enter houses or cars looking for food

— Masai often used their beautiful feathers for ornamentation

— loud duets with a long bubbling medley - a territorial song to outside groups

— distinctive colouration

— found in African scrub or open woodland

— hunt insects and other small prey from a perch on a bush

— a distinctive song and frequently indulges in duet singing

— also is quite at home in cultivations and around human habitations

— fruit eating bird

— typical call is a single or repeated gwa (or g'away)

— flies from tree to tree in loose straggling groups, calling loudly