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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
golden-breasted
starling, royal starling |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Passeriformes |
| FAMILY: |
Sturnidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Cosmopsarus
regius |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
golden-breasted starling is a small bird with a
bright, blue tail and a blue back. It has a green
head, white eyes, blue-violet wings, and a yellow
breast, belly, and upper tail covers. |
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| SIZE: |
30-37.5
cm (12-15 in.); wingspan 11.5-13 cm (4.6-5.6 in.) |
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| DIET: |
Mostly
feeds on insects and fruits |
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| INCUBATION: |
11-14 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
3-5
eggs |
| FLEDGING
DURATION |
Approximately
3 weeks |
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| HABITAT: |
Inhabits
arid regions |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
In
some regions, starlings are also referred to as
grackles.
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| 2. |
Starlings
live in small family groups of 3-12 members and
are very noisy. |
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| 3. |
Golden-breasted
starlings exhibit cooperative breeding, where group
members assist with nest-building and feeding the
young. In this sort of arrangement, breeding
females often solicit food from other members of
the group to feed to the young. She crouches and
quivers while gaping and vocalizing. The group either
ignores her and feeds the young themselves, or gives
her part of the food to feed the young, or gives
her all the food. |
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| 4. |
Starlings
live mainly on insects, termites being a favorite.
They catch the termites by opening their ground
tunnels with rapid flicks of their bill. |
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| 5. |
Golden-breasted
starlings nest in tree holes, often made and abandoned
by woodpeckers. |
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| Although
starlings and mynah birds, are native to Africa
and southeast Asia, some were intentionally introduced
to North America, Hawaii, and Australia to aid in
insect control. |
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|
| Austin,
G. Birds of the World. Golden Press, Inc.,
New York. 1961. |
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| Gotch,
A.F. Birds - Their Latin Names Explained.
Poole, Dorst: Blandford Press, 1981. |
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| Perrins,
C. Birds: Their Life, Their Ways, Their World.
New York: The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
1979. |
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| Perrins,
C. M. and A. L.A. Middleton, eds. The Encyclopedia
of Birds. New York: Facts on File Pub. 1985. |
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| Perrins,
C. M. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds:
The Definitive Reference to Birds of the World.
New York: Prentice Hall Press. 1990. |
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| http://www.honoluluzoo.org/Golden-breasted_Starling.htm |
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