The entry for Ruppell's starling on Wikipedia is two sentences. The entry in Birds of the World is also very short. But the bird is drop-dead gorgeous. It is a GLOSSY (WOW) starling with a long, graduated tail. The nominate subspecies (purpuroptera), which I saw, has a blue-green with bronzy sheen crown, chin and side of head; a blue nape with a purple sheen; a blue mantle and back; a purple rump; a blue-green wing; dark barring on the coverts, tertials and outer webs of primaries; a purple tail with distinct bars; a blue-green throat and breast; purple belly, flanks, thighs and undertail-coverts; a bronzy sheen in the center of the belly; a creamy white iris; and black legs and bill. It needs no words. Photos do all the talking.
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| I got a photo of one in Murchison Falls NP, Uganda. |
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| All the rest were photographed in Kidepo Valley NP in Uganda. |
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| A purple tail. |
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| Blue nape with a purple sheen. It looks like it is covered in Vaseline. |
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| Illustration from Birds of the World which doesn't even come close to the gloss. |
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| Range from Birds of the World. |
For an almost monochromatic bird, this one is extremely colorful. Really beautiful.
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