Pied starling

Lamprotornis bicolor

The Pied starling (Lamprotornis bicolor) is a bird found in South Africa. Grassland and farmland in South Africa. It eats insects and other small invertebrates, fruit and dead animals (carrion). The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

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Scientific name	Lamprotornis bicolor
Region	Africa
Found in	South Africa

🏡 Where the Pied starling lives

Grassland and farmland in South Africa.

🍽️ What it eats

🐛 Insects & bugs40%
🍎 Fruit30%
🦴 Leftovers (carrion)10%
🌸 Nectar10%
🌿 Leaves & plants10%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

LCNTVUENCREWEX

Least ConcernThere are plenty of these birds.

💡 It has a shiny black body and a bold yellow-white eye.

Hear the Pied starling

Recorded by Lynette Rudman (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC277585. Trimmed to a few seconds.

Questions about the Pied starling

Where does the Pied starling live?

The Pied starling lives in South Africa. Grassland and farmland in South Africa.

What does the Pied starling eat?

insects and other small invertebrates (about 40%), fruit (about 30%), dead animals (carrion) (about 10%), nectar (about 10%), leaves and other plant parts (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the Pied starling endangered?

There are plenty of these birds. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

More birds from Africa

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.