Photo of the Day

two purple glossy starlings at the Kansas City Zoo in Missouri
March 3, 2016

Pearlescent Pair

This portrait of a pair of purple glossy starlings (Lamprotornis purpureus) at the Kansas City Zoo in Missouri was taken for the Photo Ark project by photographer Joel Sartore. Photo Ark is a multiyear National Geographic project with a simple goal—to create portraits of the world’s captive species before they disappear, and to inspire people everywhere to care. The photo collection currently comprises images of more than 5,000 species, but Sartore aims to document the 12,000 captive species worldwide.

Learn more about National Geographic Photo Ark.

Photograph by Joel Sartore

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