Meves's Glossy-starling

Meves's Glossy-starling

Lamprotornis mevesii

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
60–70% · Likely
overall probability at Lower Zambezi National Park
151 Verified records at Lower Zambezi National Park
April Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

Meves's starling (Lamprotornis mevesii), also Meves's glossy starling and Long-tailed starling, is a species of starling in the genus Lamprotornis. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its English and Latin names commemorate the German ornithologist Friedrich Wilhelm Meves. It is 30–36 cm long, with a very long tail; in dull light coloured black, but in bright light, with moderate to intensely strong iridescent gloss. It can be distinguished from the similar Burchell's starling by its longer tail with strongly graduated feathers (the central pair of tail feathers the longest, with subsequent pairs of feathers shorter to the outermost), and from other long-tailed species of Lamprotornis by its dark eyes. Three subspecies are accepted: Lamprotornis mevesii benguelensis Shelley, 1906 — southwestern Angola (Angola Escarpment). Wikipedia →

60–70% of wildlife watchers report a Meves's Glossy-starling sighting in Lower Zambezi National Park, based on 151 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Lower Zambezi National Park

Greater Blue-eared Starling
LC

Greater Blue-eared Starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lamprotornis chalybaeus

<5% · Rare
Wattled Starling
LC

Wattled Starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Creatophora cinerea

10–20% · With luck
Red-winged Starling
LC

Red-winged Starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Onychognathus morio

5–10% · With luck
Violet-backed Starling
LC

Violet-backed Starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

5–10% · With luck
Fork-tailed Drongo
LC

Fork-tailed Drongo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dicrurus adsimilis

60–70% · Likely
Common Bulbul
LC

Common Bulbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pycnonotus barbatus

50–60% · Likely
African Pied Wagtail
LC

African Pied Wagtail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Motacilla aguimp

40–50% · Likely
Wire-tailed Swallow
LC

Wire-tailed Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hirundo smithii

40–50% · Likely
Blue-breasted Cordonbleu
LC

Blue-breasted Cordonbleu

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Uraeginthus angolensis

40–50% · Likely
Tropical Boubou

Tropical Boubou

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Laniarius major

40–50% · Possible
White-crested Helmetshrike
LC

White-crested Helmetshrike

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Prionops plumatus

30–40% · Possible
Red-billed Oxpecker

Red-billed Oxpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buphagus erythrorhynchus

30–40% · Possible

📅 Monthly Probability

70–80
Jan
60–70
Feb
70–80
Mar
80–90
Apr
70–80
May
70–80
Jun
80–90
Jul
50–60
Aug
50–60
Sep
50–60
Oct
70–80
Nov
60–70
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
70–80%
2 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
70–80%
3 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
70–80%
4 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
60–70%
5 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
60–70%
6 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
50–60%
7 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
20–30%
8 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
10–20%
9 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
5–10%
10 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
11 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Meves's Glossy-starling in Lower Zambezi National Park?

About 68% of wildlife watchers report a Meves's Glossy-starling sighting in Lower Zambezi National Park, based on 151 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Meves's Glossy-starling in Lower Zambezi National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Meves's Glossy-starling in Lower Zambezi National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Lower Zambezi National Park