'I bet photographs can't capture the true majesty of this bird's colors': Meet the Amethyst Starling, the purple wildlife gem most people have never heard of

Ayala Sorotsky • Writer and Editor

Jun 28, 2026 10:45 AM EDT

We can't get over how beautiful nature is, and especially the wildlife that lives in it.

When we learn about a new animal, not one that we were simply not aware of, but a downright weird animal we couldn't even imagine existing (like the Bridgey's Midgey, for example - like what even is this thing?) - it's filed in our brains as yet another piece of evidence for how amazing nature is, and how absolutely little we know about it. And, to be honest, that there's always something new to learn about this world we live in.

That's what they do every day at the r/AIDKE community, which stands for Animals I Didn't Know Existed. We absolutely adore the concept of discovering something new about the wildlife that surrounds us, because we love animals and we love learning. But Mother Nature holds so many magnificent gems that can't simply stay in the collective consciousness of a few - they need to be known worldwide for their beautiful existence.

Enter the Amethyst Starling, one of the most beautiful birds on our planet. But it's not as common as the peacock, or as hilarious as an emu, so most people just have no idea that somewhere in sub-Saharan Africa there's a bird that glows purple. Did you know? Well, you're about to.

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via Ken on Canon PHOTOGRAPHY | @ken_on_canon__777
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You didn't know this color existed in nature? Well, here are a few more purple animals for you to explore:
First, there's the obvious Purple Emperor Butterfly - one of the largest and most elusive butterflies in the Palearctic region (a very big area, stretching across Europe, Asia north of the Himalayas, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula). The males display an iridescent violet-purple sheen that's mesmerizing to look at.
Ochre Sea Star, also simply known as the Purple Sea Star, is a special resident of the Pacific coast. This species can have other colors, like orange or brown, and that depends on their diet. But those who eat rainbows, we assume, are the purple ones.
Bee-lieve it or not, there's also a purple bee - the Violet Carpenter Bee. Known scientifically as Xylocopa Violacea, it's found throughout Europe and Asia. These robust bees feature an exotic metallic-purple sheen on their wings and bodies.
The Purple Honeycreeper is a tiny Amazonian bird, but honestly, they have more of an indigo deep-blue hue to their feathers. The male has this color, while the female is bright green to stay camouflaged in the thick forest foliage.
Spanish Shawl Nudibranch is a brilliantly colored sea slug found in the Pacific Ocean. It boasts a deep purple body with neon orange frills - ready for a rave party underwater.
Another aquatic oddity with some purple coloring is the Violet Sea Snail. They're an ocean-dwelling creature that creates a "bubble raft" of mucus to float on the water's surface, with a blue-violet shell.
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Despite what this one commenter claims, we checked and confirmed that most pictures of the male Amethyst Starlings are not artificially saturated. Their purple color is as vibrant as it is in nature, because it doesn't come from a pigment but from microscopic nanostructures in their feathers. These structures act like tiny mirrors, reflecting specific violet and ultraviolet wavelengths of light. Because of this iridescence, they can look like deep wine-purple in the shade or brilliant, almost-neon purple in direct, bright sunlight.
The only hindrance for us to experience it might be the camera's ability to make it shine through. Or, you know, the fact that it's so rare to actually see them in real life.
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Jealous of birds' colors? Don't despair, little mammal, we are human, after all. We have clothes.