The adults of these stocky 22–23 cm long birds have a metallic purple head and body, and glossy green wings. They have a short tail and a yellow eye. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are much duller, with grey underparts and a brown iris.
This is a gregarious and noisy bird, with typical starling squeaks and chattering.
Like most starlings, the purple starling is omnivorous, eating fruit and insects.
The purple starling builds a nest in a hole. The normal clutch is two eggs.
