Superb Starling – Somalia national bird
The Superb Starling is a common species in Somalia. It is found in all parts of the country, including the coastal regions. The species is also found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania. The superb starling is also known as the Somali starling or Somali ornithology.
The Superb Starling is the national bird of Somalia. It is a migratory bird that lives in the Horn of Africa, breeding in Ethiopia and migrating to Somalia during the winter months.
Superb Starling Scientific Classification
Scientific Name: Lamprotornis superbus
Class: Aves
Species: L. superbus
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Passeriformes
Physical Description
The bird is a medium-sized, entirely dark starling with a blue bill, pink legs, red eyes, and yellow irises. Its plumage is mainly glossy black with a green gloss on the back and wings and paler grey underparts. The male has a white throat and breast, while the female has a heavily streaked head and neck, a buff eye ring and no white on the underparts.
Facts about Superb Starling
- The superb starling is the official and famous bird in Somalia.
- Superb Starling is a medium-sized bird, 10 inches long and weighing between 2 and 3 ounces
- Starlings have an average lifespan of 3 to 5 years in the wild and 10 to 15 years in captivity.
- The superb starling has an amazing ability to mimic sounds from its environment. It uses these sounds as a means of communication with other starlings as well as a form of self-defense against predators.
- Shape: The male has a blue head, back and wings with a black tail, while the female is brownish.
- Diet: The Superb Starling feeds on insects, seeds and fruits of trees such as wild figs (Ficus sycomorus)
- Habitat: The superb starling lives in open country with trees and shrubs. It will also make its home on farmland, in cities, and even in towns and villages.
- Starling is a highly intelligent and adaptable bird species. It can be found in all parts of the world, except for Antarctica.
Why is Superb Starling the national bird of Somalia?
The superb starling is the native bird of Somalia because it’s extremely common in Somalia. The country has many different species of birds, but the superb starling is by far the most abundant and widespread.
The Somali government chose this bird as its national symbol because they believe it represents the country well. The Somali people are very friendly, just like the starling, who flocks together with other birds in order to survive their harsh environment.
It was also chosen because it is beautiful and it flies very high in the sky. When you see it flying you don’t know how big it is as it looks like a small black dot in the sky. It makes a lot of noise when it flies so that people know where it is going and where it has been.