About Lamprotornis chalybaeus Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828
The greater blue-eared starling, scientifically named Lamprotornis chalybaeus Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828, is a short-tailed bird that measures 22 centimeters in length. This starling has glossy blue-green plumage, a purple-blue belly, and a blue ear patch. Its iris is bright yellow or orange. Adult males and females have similar appearances, while juvenile greater blue-eared starlings are duller and have blackish brown underparts. Populations of this species found from southern Kenya southward are smaller than northern populations, and they are sometimes classified as a separate subspecies, L. c. sycobius. The lesser blue-eared starling is similar in appearance to the greater blue-eared starling, but in the lesser blue-eared starling, the blue color of the belly does not extend forward of the legs. The greater blue-eared starling produces a range of musical or grating calls, and its most well-known call is a nasal squee-ar.
