Gray shine star
| Gray shine star | ||||||||||||
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Gray shine star |
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| Lamprotornis unicolor | ||||||||||||
| ( Shelley , 1881) |
The gray-luster starfish ( Lamprotornis unicolor , syn .: Cosmopsarus unicolor ) is a species of bird from the starling family . It is endemic to central Tanzania , but has also been observed as a random visitor in Kenya .
Appearance
The adult bird is about 30 cm tall. The plumage is gray all over the body, in the magnificent dress wings, tail and back shine in a dark olive . The bill and legs are gray, the eyes pale pale yellow with a dark, wine-red ring around the pupil .
The juveniles are paler in color, have dark eyes and a shorter tail.
Habitat and way of life
The bird occurs mostly in small flocks ; foraging often takes place on the ground.
Bush and grasslands are populated if there are individual trees and bushes in the latter. The habitats are at altitudes between 1000 and 1850 meters.
The call is a sharp-sounding, nasal " rannah ".
Etymology and history of research
George Ernest Shelley described the gray-shine star under the name Cosmopsarus unicolor . The type specimen was sent to him by John Kirk from East Africa.
The word "Lamprotornis" comes from the Greek words "lamprotēs" for "splendor, glory, brilliance" and "ornis ὄρνις " for "bird". The Latin word "unicolor" stands for "one color, uniform".
Phylogeny
The closest related species (sister species) of the gray gloss star is the Meves gloss star Lamprotornis mevesii . The different coloration of the magnificent male dress is due to the different nanostructures of the melanosomes embedded in the plumage, which create structural colors through the refraction of light. The radiation is attributed to sexual selection .
swell
- Terry Stevenson, John Fanshawe: Birds of East Africa . Princeton Field Guides, Princeton 2002, ISBN 978-0-691-12665-4 .
- James A. Jobling: Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm, London 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4 .
- George Ernest Shelley: On new Species of East-African Birds . In: The Ibis (= 4 ). tape 5 , 1881, p. 115–118 ( online [accessed January 21, 2014]).
Web links
- Lamprotornis unicolor in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
- BirdLife International: Species Factsheet - Ashy Starling ( Cosmopsarus unicolor ) . Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings for Ashy Starling (Lamprotornis unicolor) in the Internet Bird Collection
- Gray gloss star ( Lamprotornis unicolor ) at Avibase; Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- Cosmopsarus unicolor in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- xeno-canto: sound recordings - Ashy Starling ( Lamprotornis unicolor )
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Terry Stevenson u. a., p. 490.
- ↑ George Ernest Shelley, p. 116.
- ↑ James A. Jobling p. 218.
- ↑ James A. Jobling p. 396
- ↑ Irby J. Lovette & Dustin R. Rubenstein (2007): A comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the starlings (Aves: Sturnidae) and mockingbirds (Aves: Mimidae): Congruent mtDNA and nuclear trees for a cosmopolitan avian radiation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution Volume 44, Issue 3: 1031-1056. doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2007.03.017
- ↑ Rafael Maia, Dustin R. Rubenstein, Matthew D. Shawkey (2013): Key ornamental innovations facilitate diversification in an avian radiation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA vol. 110 no. 26: 10687-10692. doi : 10.1073 / pnas.1220784110