This is bird note.

Some of the most beautiful birds in the world are Starlings.

In Africa. Starlings?

In Africa, where there are dozens of Starling species, a quick look reveals a variety of visual stunners. Some of the names hint at their dazzle, superb starling, golden-breasted

starling, and emerald purple and violet-backed starlings. Just imagine a splendid glossy Starling outside your window. A quick view of the

superb Starling shows a fantastically shiny bird with a deep blue head and breast, black face,

aquamarine wings, and a flame orange belly.

African starlings have taken glossy plumage to new heights.

The secret lies in their melanosomes,

rod-shaped structures in birds feather cells that carry dark pigment.

In birds that sparkle, these rods are organized in ways that glisten under the light.

Since Starlings first appeared in Africa 17 million years ago, they've evolved three new forms of rod shapes in addition to the ancient one.

This is the only group of birds to possess all four different rods.

New shapes of rods meant new ways of interacting with light and the emergence of new more

colorful feathers. This variety of colors pushed the rapid evolution of a wide range of

African starling species, each with its own scintillating feathers,

a wonderland of starlings.

For Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein.