Description
Starling
By Marc Alexander from his ‘The Secret Forest’ exhibition. ‘Starling’, oil on board, 17cm by 17cm, (2014).
Starling
More specifically the Cape starling, red-shouldered glossy-starling or Cape glossy starling (Lamprotornis nitens) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in southern Africa, where it lives in woodlands, bushveld and in suburbs. The Cape starling is found where trees in which it can roost and nest are found. It is not a bird of dense forest or of pasture and is not associated with any particular plant type. It does occur in open woodland, plantations, savannah, bushveld, rough grassland, parks and gardens and is quite numerous in the central Kalahari where isolated trees occur.
The Cape starling is a gregarious bird and forms large flocks in the non-breeding season. It usually feeds on the ground often foraging alongside other species of starlings such as the pied starling, the common starling, the greater blue-eared starling, the lesser blue-eared starling, the wattled starling and Burchell’s starling. It is habituated to humans and its diet includes fruit, insects and nectar. It sometimes feeds on ectoparasites that it picks off the backs of animals and it sometimes visits bird tables for scraps.
The Secret Forest
Inspiration for this body of work stems from my love and gratitude toward God for His marvellous creation, which has enthused within me an interest in forestry, particularly its aspects of conservation and regeneration.
The Secret Forest is a paradise of my imaginings, wondrous and alive with many fascinating forms of life. I have often gotten lost in its wooded beauty, trailing shadowy pathways and streams, searching every nook and cranny amongst tangled root systems and mossy rocks just so that I can feast my eyes on its hidden treasures. This is a place where the feral imagination could easily envisage the likes of, elves and tree Ents – a place entirely unspoiled by mankind and the age of machines.
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