Near the water in Lake Langano, I saw an unusually large shining starling. It turned out to be a Rüppell's starling, a 35 cm long bird (the European starling is about 20 cm long). It is bird with an extended tail and a clear, alert white-yellow eye. The plumage is blue-green with a bronze shimmer. It thrives in dry areas, but then almost always near water. It is relatively common in the Horn of Africa and in neighboring areas. The song is long and teasing, alternating between hard and soft tones. It is usually referred to as 'omnivore' and does not seem picky if humans leave traces of meals behind.