A small snake wrestles a starling in a fight to the death; unfortunately for the snake, things don’t go too well.
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Hanno, a 43-year-old consultant who recently had this unique experience during his visit to Kruger National Park, shared it with LatestSightings.com.
“After a morning filled with lion and leopard sightings, the pace of the day slowed down. I decided to switch things up and focus on something other than cats. That’s when I stumbled upon a rare sighting of a starling fighting with what appeared to be a worm.”
Starlings are a group of birds that are found all over the world, with over 100 different species. They are known for their ability to mimic sounds. Starlings are usually small to medium-sized birds with distinct black and iridescent blue or purple plumage. They are social birds and often congregate in large flocks.
“Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a tiny snake. I took out his camera and tried to focus on the action, but the bird was too fast for me to capture on video. The snake wiggled and struggled but to no avail.”
The average lifespan of a glossy starling is between 15 and 20 years.
When it comes to their eating habits, starlings are known to be omnivorous, meaning they will eat just about anything. They have a varied diet that includes insects, fruits, seeds, and even small animals like mice. Starlings have a unique feeding technique where they use their beaks to probe the ground and dig up insects.
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“In the end, the starling had the snake wrapped up in its beak and began feeding on it. Sadly for the tiny snake, it was the end. So it is true that the early bird gets the worm, but also that the early worm gets eaten, and that was the case for this snake.”
“My advice to anyone going on safari is to look closely at the environment around them. While cats are fantastic, there are so many other things to see if you take the time to look. A chameleon stalking an insect, a kingfisher trawling for fish, or the tiny chicks of the smallest birds in the park can all make for fascinating sightings.”