Starlings (Sturnidae)

Cape Glossy Starling (Lamprotornis nitens) - HBW 14, p. 751

French: Choucador à épaulettes rouges German: Rotschulter-Glanzstar Spanish: Estornino de El Cabo
Other common names: Red-shouldered Glossy Starling

Taxonomy: Turdus nitens Linnaeus, 1766, Angola.
Birds from Namibia E to Zimbabwe and NE South Africa often separated as race phoenicopterus and those from E South Africa as culminator on basis of size and colour (larger and greener); geographical variation, however, appears clinal, with intergradation between adjoining populations throughout species' range. Treated as monotypic.

Distribution: From around mouth of R Congo S through W & S Angola to SW Zambia and Zimbabwe, S to Namibia, Botswana, South Africa (except S & SW Cape region and dry W interior), W lowlands of Lesotho, Swaziland and S Mozambique.