photo: Robbie Phelan
photo: Jean-Michel Fenerole, oiseaux.net
photo: Ion Moe
Habitat: Sub-Saharan Africa
Status: Least Concern
Status: Least Concern
Here’s the unbelievably striking Amethyst Starling or Violet-backed Starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster). The purple and indigo feathers are quite a sight to behold amongst the common greens and browns found in its grassy environment. It almost looks like the colors of a galaxy are trapped within each iridescent feather. Iridescence in bird feathers is due to microstructures of the feather refracting light much like a prism. According to fossil evidence, birds have had these structures in their feathers for at least 40 million years.
However, the above photos are only of male Amethyst Starlings… take a peak at the female:
photo: Doug Janson
Boringggg! This is a great example of sexual dimorphism – differences in appearance between the two sexes of a species – where, as usually is the case, females pale in comparison to the brightly colored males. The two sexes come together during mating season and then split up into separate flocks once they’re done with that business. Interestingly, unlike other starlings that have been well-studied, amethyst flocks are usually composed of a single sex.
I wonder if it’s a situation where the males are like, “YOU CAN’T SIT WITH US!”
