- Where to see one
- 3 U.S. zoos in our directory hold emerald starling, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the emerald starling
The emerald starling, also called the iris glossy starling, is a medium-small starling of West Africa, living in lowlands and savanna in Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea and Sierra Leone. It is about 21 cm long, similar in size to the common starling. Adults are iridescent metallic green on the crown, upper body, wings and tail, with metallic purple ear-coverts and underparts and a black bill and legs. It feeds on figs, Haronga berries and other fruit, seeds, ants and small insects. It nests in a tree cavity, where male and female build a cup-shaped nest of leaves together.
Emerald Starling facts
- It was once placed in its own genus, Coccycolius, before genetic studies showed it is a typical glossy starling.
- Both parents bring food to the chicks.
- Juveniles are glossy olive-green above and matt greyish-brown below, lacking the adult's iridescence.
- Males and females look similar.
Where to see emerald starling in the U.S.
3 zoos across 3 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 3 zoos holding emerald starling by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
Illinois· 1
Kansas· 1
Oregon· 1
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
