Lamprotornis chloropterus
Silhouette: Rafael Maia · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The lesser blue-eared starling or lesser blue-eared glossy-starling (Lamprotornis chloropterus) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The lesser blue-eared starling was formally described in 1838 by the English zoologist William Swainson under the current binomial name Lamprotornis chloropterus based on a specimen collected in West Africa. The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek χλωρος/khlōros meaning "yellow" with -πτερος/-pteros meaning "-winged".
Two subspecies are recognised: The subspecies L. c. elisabeth has sometimes been considered as a separate species, the Miombo blue-eared starling. During the non-breeding... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mikumi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 4 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 5 | Niokolo-Koba National Park | 🇸🇳 Senegal | |
| 6 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 7 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 8 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 9 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 10 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harare | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Maiduguri | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | |
| 3 | Accra | 🇬🇭 Ghana | |
| 4 | Serrekunda | 🇬🇲 Gambia | |
| 5 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Lagos | 🇵🇹 Portugal |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling sighting in Accra on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 108th most-seen of the 162 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling in Accra on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and April–November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling sightings, Accra ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Harare (Zimbabwe, about 20%) and Maiduguri (Nigeria, about 10%).
Same genus: Lamprotornis
The closest relatives of the Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling that you can see in Accra (genus Lamprotornis, Glossy Starlings and Allies) are Splendid Glossy-starling (about 40%), Purple Glossy-Starling (about 40%) and Long-tailed Glossy Starling (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling is recorded against all the birds logged in Accra (18 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
