Up until 1910 only one male had been on exhibit in the London Zoo. The species was first bred just prior to 1936. When I first saw these birds I was awestruck. The male with its almost pure white belly contrasting with the amethyst-purple of the rest of his body was stunning. His colors glittered much like the colors of a sunbird or a humming bird's violet in the sunlight.
Amethysts are sexually dimorphic when in adult plumage.
It must be remembered that the young males come off the nest looking like the hen. They do not start to get adult plumage until at least one year old. I have seen some that did not start to get their adult male plumage until three years of age. This makes it imperative to sex any birds that look like hens. Amethyst Starlings remind me very much of our American Blue Bird in size and shape.