BIRDS of THE WORLD - An Online Bird Book
Order Passeriformes Family Sturnidae
African STARLINGs and their Allies
Order Passeriformes Family Sturnidae
The family Sturnidae includes the starlings and mynas. Family members are collectively know as the starlings. The family also used to include the oxpeckers, but they now are thought to be rather distant relatives. Some starling species are good mimics, and the family is related to the mimidae family of mockingbirds. Starlings are small to medium sized. They are usually dark colored, often with a metallic sheen, but some have bright colors. Many species have very bright eyes. The starlings eat insects and fruit. They favor open spaces.
Genus Cinnyricinclus
These African starlings are found in wooded habitats of sub-Saharan Africa
Starling, Sharpe's Cinnyricinclus sharpii also Pholia sharpii Found: Africa
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans 2) Kristian Svensson - Uganda
1) Pair 2) Male
Starling, Violet-backed also Amethyst Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster Found: Africa
The male Violet-backed Starling has glossy violet upperparts, head, upper-breast; white lower-breast, belly. Female has brown upperparts, head; white underparts with brown streaks.
Image by: 1) Doug Jansob 2) Dick Daniels - North Carolina Zoo 3) Carol Foil -
Rift Valley, Kenya 4) Brendan_Ryan
1) Female 2 - 4) Male
Genus Creatophora - 1 species
Starling,_Wattled Creatophora cinerea Found: Africa
The Wattled Starling has mainly pail gray plumage with black flight feathers; yellow wattle around eye.
Image by: 1) Carol Foil - Rift Valley, Kenya 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Tazania 4) Dick - San Diego Zoo 5) Bernard_Dupont - South Africa
2) Identified by Charlie Westerinen
Genus Grafisia - 1 species
Starling,_White-collared Grafisia torquata Found: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, DR Congo, Gabon
The male White-collared Starling has mainly glossy-black plumage; white fore-collar; black bill, legs; yellow eyes. Female has mainly gray plumage; black tipped wings, tail;
Image by: 1) Lars_Petersson 2) Ron_Knight - Uganda 3) Artur_Bujanowicz - Cameroon
1) Female 2, 3) Male
Genus Hartlaubius - 1 species
Starling,_Madagascar Hartlaubius auratus Found: Madagascar
Image by: 1) Pat and Keith Taylor 2) Lee Hunter 3) Jack Haskell
Genus Hylopsar
Starling,_Copper-tailed Hylopsar cupreocauda Found: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone
Image by: 1) Nik_Borrow - Ghana
Starling,_Purple-headed Hylopsar purpureiceps Found: Africa
Image by: 1) William_Rutledge
Genus Lamprotornis
Lamprotornis is a large genus of glossy-starlings all of which occur in Africa south of the Sahara. They have glossy blue or green upperparts, which is due to hollow melanin granules arranged in a single layer near the feather barbule’s surface. The underparts of these species lacks iridescence and may be blue, purple, yellow or brown. Most Lamprotornis starlings have striking yellow or red irides and some have long tails. They are found in a variety of habitats from forests to open woodland and gardens. They nest in tree holes. Most species are gregarious outside the breeding season.
Starling,_African_Pied Lamprotornis bicolor Found: South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland
The African Pied Starling has mainly black plumage; white lower belly, rump; white eyes; yellow lower mandible.
Image by: 1, 2) Derek_Keats - South Africa 3, 4, 5) Brian_Ralphs 6, 7) Dick Daniels - Oudtshoorn,
South Africa
Starling,_Ashy Lamprotornis unicolor Found: Africa
The Ashy Starling has gray-brown plumage; long tail; yellow eyes.
Image by: 1) Yoky - Tanzania 2) Dick
Daniels - Tanzania 3) Yathin Krishnappa
Starling,_Bronze-tailed Lamprotornis chalcurus Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Torwall 2) Ron Knight - Cameroon
Starling,_Burchell's Glossy- Lamprotornis australis Found: Africa
The Burchell's Glossy-Starling has a large dark ear patch; dark eyes.
Image by: 1) Werner Witte - South Africa 2) Jerry Oldenettel - Namibia 3) Bernard_Dupont - South Africa 4) Brendan_Ryan - South Africa
Starling,_Cape also Brahminy Myna also Red-shouldered Glossy-starling Lamprotornis nitens Found: southern Africa
The Cape Starling has mainly greenish-blue plumage; dark eye-patch; yellow eyes.
Similar to: Greater Blue-eared Starling. In South Africa, Great Blue-eared Starling is only in the extreme northeast. If the bird is found elsewhere in South Africa then it is Cape Glossy Starling.
Similar to: Lesser Blue-eared Starling. Lesser Blue-eared Starling not found in South Africa. If the bird is found in South Africa then it is Cape Glossy Starling.
Image by: 1, 2) Arno Meintjes - South Africa 3) Dick Daniels near Kruger National Park, South Africa 4, 5, 6) Dick - Johannesburg, South Africa 7) Cristiano Crolle - Etosha Nat.Park, NamibiaSimilar to: Greater Blue-eared Starling. In South Africa, Great Blue-eared Starling is only in the extreme northeast. If the bird is found elsewhere in South Africa then it is Cape Glossy Starling.
Similar to: Lesser Blue-eared Starling. Lesser Blue-eared Starling not found in South Africa. If the bird is found in South Africa then it is Cape Glossy Starling.
Starling,_Chestnut-bellied Lamprotornis pulcher Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Frans_Vandewalle - Gambia 2) Nik_Borrow - Senegal 3) ChriKo
Starling,_Copper-tailed Glossy- Lamprotornis cupreocauda Found: Africa
The Copper-tailed Glossy-Starling has mainly blue plumage; dark purple upper-breast; copper-colored tail; yellow eye; faint black eye-line.
Image by: Emily Damstra
Starling,_Fischer's Lamprotornis fischeri Found: Africa
The Fischer'sw Starling has dull ashy-fray upperparts, breast; white belly, under-tail; whtie eyes.
Image by: 1) Peter Steward - Kenya 2) Franceso Veronesi - Kenya 3) Donald Macauley - Kenya
Starling,_Golden-breasted Lamprotornis regius Found: Africa
The Golden-breasted Starling has greenish-blue iridescent upperparts, upper-breast; golden lower-beast, belly; white eyes.
Image by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Birds of Eden, South
Africa 3) Dick - San Diego Zoo
4, 5) Dick - National Aviary 6) Sandy Cole - National Aviary 7, 8) Dick - Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle
Starling,_Greater Blue-eared Lamprotornis chalybaeus Found: Africa
The Greater Blue-eared Starling has glossy blue-green upperparts; purple-blue underparts; yellow or orange eyes.
Similar to: Lesser Blue-eared Starling. Greater Blue-eared Starling is larger than Lesser Blue-eared Starling and has bluer upper-belly and breast.
Similar to: Cape Glossy-Starling. In South Africa, Great Blue-eared Starling is only in the extreme northeast. If the bird is found elsewhere in South Africa then it is Cape Glossy Starling.
Image by: 1) Carol Foil - Kenya 2, 3)
Dick Daniels - South Africa 4, ) Dick - Kenya 6) Shankar S - Kenya 7) Joseph Mochoge - Gilgil, KenyaSimilar to: Lesser Blue-eared Starling. Greater Blue-eared Starling is larger than Lesser Blue-eared Starling and has bluer upper-belly and breast.
Similar to: Cape Glossy-Starling. In South Africa, Great Blue-eared Starling is only in the extreme northeast. If the bird is found elsewhere in South Africa then it is Cape Glossy Starling.
Starling,_Hilderbrandt's Lamprotornis hildebrandti Found: Kenya and Tanzania
The Hilderbrandt's has mainly blue upperparts; bronze-green wings with blue primaries; purple throat, upper-breast; blue-green tail; orange-buff lower-breast; belly; red eyes.
Similar to: Shelley's Starling. Hilderbrandt's Starling has whitish eyes. Shelley's Starling has orange eyes.
Similar to: Superb Starling. Superb Starling has white breast-band; Hilderbrandt's does not. Superb Starling has whitish eyes; Hilderbrandt's has red eyes.
Image by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Tanzania 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) Dick - Kenya 3) Nik_Borrow - TanzaniaSimilar to: Shelley's Starling. Hilderbrandt's Starling has whitish eyes. Shelley's Starling has orange eyes.
Similar to: Superb Starling. Superb Starling has white breast-band; Hilderbrandt's does not. Superb Starling has whitish eyes; Hilderbrandt's has red eyes.
Starling,_Iris Glossy- also Emerald Starling Lamprotornis iris Found: west Africa
The Emerald Starling has metalic green upperparts, crown, wings, tail; metalic purple ear coverts, underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - North Carolina Zoo 3) Sandy Cole -North
Carolina Zoo 4) Dick - San Diego Zoo
Starling,_Lesser_Blue-eared Lamprotornis chloropterus Found: Africa
The Lesser Blue-eared -Starling has glossy blue-green upperparts; purple-blue lower-belly; blue-green upper-belly breast; yellow or orange eyes.
Similar to: Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling. Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling is larger than Lesser Blue-eared Starling and has bluer upper-belly and breast.
Similar to: Cape Glossy-Starling. Lesser Blue-eared Starling not found in South Africa. If the bird is found in South Africa then it is Cape Glossy Starling
Image by: 1) Torwall 2) Sumeet_Moghe - Ghana 3) Sue Robinson 4) Frans_Vandewalle - GambiaSimilar to: Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling. Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling is larger than Lesser Blue-eared Starling and has bluer upper-belly and breast.
Similar to: Cape Glossy-Starling. Lesser Blue-eared Starling not found in South Africa. If the bird is found in South Africa then it is Cape Glossy Starling
Starling,_Long-tailed Glossy- Lamprotornis caudatus Found: tropical Africa
The Long-tailed Glossy-Starling has a very long tail; pale yellow eyes.
Image by: 1, 2) Thomas Hashlam - Senegal 3) JV Verde - Gambia
Starling,_Meves's Glossy- also Meve's Starling Fregilupus varius Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Derek Keats - South Africa 2) Nanosanchez -Botswana 3) Bernard_Dupont - South Africa
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Starling,_Principe_Glossy- Lamprotornis ornatus Found: São Tomé and Príncipe (off west coast central Africa)
Image by: 1) Le Vaillant 2) Nik_Borrow
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Starling,_Purple Lamprotornis purpureus Found: Africa
The Purple Starling has mainly purple plumage; green wings; yellow eyes.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - Birds of Eden, South Africa 2) Gerard van Drunen 3) Allan_Hopkins
3) With Brown Babbler
Starling,_Purple-headed Glossy- Lamprotornis purpureiceps Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Swaysland and Wiener 2) Thejana de Zoysa 3) okirakubirder
Starling,_Ruppell's Longtail also Ruppell's Glossy-Starling Lamprotornis purpuroptera Found: Africa
The Ruppell's Glossy-Starling has mainly dark blue plumage; purple tail; black head; whitish eyes.
Image by: 1) Yoky - Tanzania 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Tanzania 
Starling,_Sharp-tailed Lamprotornis acuticaudus Found: Africa
The Sharp-tailed Starling has greenish-blue plumage; black-ear patch; red (male) or orange (female) eyes; narrow wedge-shaped tail.
Image by: 1) Torwall 2) Maans_Booysen - Angola
Starling,_Shelley's Lamprotornis shelleyi Found: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Tanzania.
Shelley's Starling has blue upperparts, upper-breast; chestnut lower-breast; belly, orrange eyes.
Similar to: Hilderbrandt's Starling. Hilderbrandt's Starling has whitish eyes. Shelley's Starling has orange eyes.
Image by: 1) Torwall 2) Lip_Kee - EthiopiaSimilar to: Hilderbrandt's Starling. Hilderbrandt's Starling has whitish eyes. Shelley's Starling has orange eyes.
Starling,_Splendid Glossy- Lamprotornis splendidus Found: Africa
The Splendid Glossy-Startling has mainly purplish-blue plumage with green wings; bronze patch on side of neck; black ear-patch, forehead; pale eyes.
Image by: 1) Paul
Starling,_Superb Lamprotornis superbus Found: Africa
The Superb Starling has greenish-blue upperparts, breast, wings, tail; black head; white waist-band; red-orange belly; whitish eyes.
Similar to: Hilderbrandt's Starling. Superb Starling has white breast-band; Hilderbrandt's does not. Superb Starling has whitish eyes; Hilderbrandt's has red eyes.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - Birds of Eden, South Africa 2) Dick - Tanzania 3, 4) Dick - San Diego Zoo 5) Dick -Kenya 6) Becky_Matsubara - TanzaniaSimilar to: Hilderbrandt's Starling. Superb Starling has white breast-band; Hilderbrandt's does not. Superb Starling has whitish eyes; Hilderbrandt's has red eyes.
Starling,_White-crowned Lamprotornis albicapillus Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Kris Maes - Ethiopia
Genus Neocichla - 1 species
Starling,_Babbling Neocichla gutturalis Found: Angola, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia
Image by: 1) Jason_Anderson 2) Naturalis_Biodiversity_Center 3) Nik Borrow
1) Juvenile
Genus Notopholia - 1 species
Starling,_Black-bellied Notopholia corrusca Found: Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
The Black-bellied Glossy-starling has glossy bluish-black upperparts; glossy black underparts; reddish-orange eyes.
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi 2) William_Dicks - South Africa 3) Sandy Cole - Birds of Eden 4) Arthur Chapman - Birds of Eden .jpg){kind=link}
Genus Onychognathus
These are African starlings. They are quite similar, and characterised by rufous primary wing feathers, very obvious in flight. The males are typically mainly glossy black, and the females dull dark grey.
Starling,_Bristle-crowned Onychognathus salvadorii Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 2) Carol Foil - Kenya 3) Charles_J_Sharp 4) Steve_Garvie - Kenya
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Starling,_Chestnut-winged Onychognathus fulgidus Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Arthur Grosset 2) Aaron Maizlish - Ghana
1) Female 2) Male
Starling,_Newmann's Onychognathus neumanni Found: Africa
The Newmann's Starling has rufous primary flight feathers. Male has mainly glossy black plumage; female has ash gray plumage.
Image by: 1) Maria_Hagglund 2) Lionel_Sineux1) Female 2) Male
Starling,_Pale-winged Onychognathus nabouroup Found: Africa
The Pale-winged Starling has mainly glossy black plumage; orange eyes; white flight feathers.
Image by: 1) Hans Hillewaert - Namibia 2) Cristiano Crolle - Namibia 3) Charles_J_Sharp - Namibia 4) Alan_Manson - South Africa
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Starling,_Red-winged Onychognathus morio Found: Africa
The male Red-winged Starling has mainly irredescent black plumage; red flight feathers; dark eyes. The female has a gray head and upper-breast, but otherwise resembles the male.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9) Dick Daniels - South Africa 7) Sandy
Cole - South Africa 
1, 2, 3, 4) Female 5 - 9) Male
Starling,_Socotran Onychognathus frater Found: Yemen
The male Socotran Starling has mainly irredescent black plumage; red flight feathers; dark eyes. The female has a gray head and upper-breast, but otherwise resembles the male.
Image by: 1) Rod Waddington 2, 3) cesare_dolzani 1, 2) Female 3) Male
Starling,_Slender-billed Onychognathus tenuirostris Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Leonard_Floyd - Ethiopia
Starling,_Somali Onychognathus blythii Found: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen
Image by: 1) Henrik Gronvold 2, 3) Cesare Dolzani
1) Pair 2) Female 3) Male
Starling,_Tristram's Onychognathus tristramii Found: northern Africa
The male Tristram's Starling has glossy iridescent glossy black plumage; orange patch on outer wing; black bill, legs. Females and juveniles are similar but duller and with a graish head, breast.
Image by: 1) Shanthanu Bhardwaj - Israel 2) Sergey Yeliseev - Egypt 3) Oraaaass - Masada 4) Bert_Kaufmann - Israel
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male
Starling,_Waller's Onychognathus walleri Found: Africa
The male Waller's Starling has glossy black plumage with red primaries. Female has gray-black plumage. Both have red eyes.
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Keekorok Lodge in the Masai Mara, Kenya
2 - 4) Three photos of the same bird.
Starling,_White-billed Onychognathus albirostris Found: Eritrea, Ethiopia
Image by: 1) Stephen Davis
Genus Poeoptera
Starling,_Abbott's Poeoptera femoralis Found: Kenya, Tanzania
The Abbott's Startling has black head, breast; white underparts; yellow eye.
Image by: mpgoodey - Tanzania1) Male
Starling,_Kenrick's Poeoptera kenricki Found: Kenya, Tanzania
Image by: 1) Geoff_Anabel_Harries - Tanzania 2) Allan_Hopkins - Tanzania
1) Female 2) Male
Starling,_Narrow-tailed Poeoptera lugubris Found: west and central Africa
The Narrow-tailed Starling has dark blue (male) or dark gray (female) plumage with chestnut patches on the wings; long narrow tails; yellow eyes.
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans 2) David Cook - Uganda 3) Peter Wang
1, 2, 3) Male
Starling,_Stuhlmann's Poeoptera stuhlmanni Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - Keekorok Lodge in the Masai Mara, Kenya
Genus Speculipastor - 1 species
Starling,_Magpie Speculipastor bicolor Found: eastern Africa
The male Magpie Starling has blue-black upperparts, heard, upper-breast; white rest of underparts. Female similar to male with gray head.
Image by: 1) Fred_Hodgson - Kenya
OXPECKERs
Order Passeriformes Family Buphagidae - 1 genus
The ocpeckers were previously considered part of the starling family.
Genus Buphagus
Oxpecker, Red-billed Buphagus erythrorhynchus Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 7) Joseph Mochoge - Eburu Kenya 2, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Kenya 3) Dick - Hluhluwe- South Africa
1) Impala hair visible in upper left of image - used by bird to cushion fragile eggs
2) Thumbnail shows juvenile; main photo has adult and juvenile.
Oxpecker, Yellow-billed Buphagus africanus Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Arno Meintjes 2) Dick Daniels - Tanzania 3) Dick - Keekorok Lodge in the Masai Mara, Kenya
