The West African emerald starling (Lamprotornis iris) is also known as the iris glossy starling. It is named for its vibrant colours – the emerald starling has green, iridescent feathers on its chest and wings and purple markings on the belly and around the eyes. The emerald starling catches insects in flight and also uses its strong beak to probe for insects and seeds in soil and heavy vegetation. In the wild, the species lives in flocks of 15-20 members; these flocks occasionally gather to form larger groups. It prefers savannah woodlands, characterised by open wooded and savannah areas, and orchard bush, often found in the Upper Guinea region of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast.
