We have several records in Italy in last years of Lamprotornis sp. (some not ID positively) ALL of them exaclty in first 15 days of April and always in coastal hot spots for migration such as Strait of Messina, Siracusa, Egadi islands (3 together!!), Ventotene Island, etc.

My opinion is that these are - at least some of them- good vagrants, but due to a sort of “racism” and suspicious attitude towards such colorfull and “exotic” species, they are all easely passed off as escapes…

However, the pattern of occurance, as locality, date, behaviour, etc. are all poiting toward genuine vagrancy.

We got in Italy accepeted Striped Crake, Intermediate Egret, and many other African species, in the 2 mentioned cases even far more odd than a Glossy Starling… indeed massive moviments of possibly millions Lamprotornis sp. happen in African grounds in this period, due to food search, wheater, dryness etc. etc.

This in short

I hope Magnus and Matthias Ullman (they saw one in Siracusa, SE Sicily, in april 2007) re-consider our idea to write an article about those birds and to submitt their record to the IRC… as well as should do the other observers of the other records (I’ve seen one chalybaeus in april 2000 at messina, Faro, exactly where some Irish birders saw one in April 2007).

Ciao…

Hi Hugo,

I doubt very much if your bird is an escapee….much more likely to be a true vagrant to your island. They do not appear in any of the bird markets I’ve visited in West Africa.

They are fairly common on the adjacent mainland of Africa in southern Mauritania.

Dear Hugo,

I attach a photograph of what looks to be GBEGlossy
Starling from Coto Donana this year on 23rd Feb. I
sent this to Ricardo Guttierez who recommended that I
forwarded it to the exotic bird coordinator.

I will be interested to see what the consensus view is
of these birds across Europe.

All the best Phil

We have been contacted recently… A Finnish birder Jarmo Komi have seen this birds in 2003 in Ponta do Pargo. However, he never reported this bird or share the information. I believe now things are pointing for accidental vagrants, instead of escapees.