Central Asia Starling

Sturnus vulgaris porphyronotus (Sharpe, 1888)

		spring
2013-04-14 Almaty region	© Gennadiy Dyakin

Description

The crown is green glossy; the back, rump and upper tail coverts are violet glossy bronze tinged, at the northern and southern borders of the distribution of this race these parts have a bluish-greenish or greenish tinge; the throat and upper breast are green glossy; the lower breast is violet glossy; the abdomen is bronze glossy greenish tinged; the ear coverts usually violet glossy. The underwing coverts are grey with whitish edges.

Distribution

Breeds and occurs on migration in the southern part of Kazakhstan, in north up to Chu valley, Chulak-Espe in Betpakdala desert (though subspecies not identified), Balkhash lake and Alakol depression. This subspecies intergrades with poltaratskyi between Alakol and Zaysan lakes (from this area the subspecies dzungaricus was described).

References

Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. "Птицы Казахстана" том 5. "Наука". Алма-Ата, 1974. Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005 А.Ф.Ковшарь "Певчие птицы". Алма-Ата, "Кайнар", 1983.