Gracupica nigricollis
Silhouette: Rafael Maia · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The black-collared starling (Gracupica nigricollis) is a species of starling with black and white plumage and a black collar. It is found in southern China and most of mainland Southeast Asia, and has been introduced to Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. Its habitats include grassland, dry forest and human settlements. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as being of least concern.
This species was described as Gracula nigricollis by Gustaf von Paykull in 1807. Formerly placed in the genus Sturnus, it and the Siamese pied myna (Gracupica floweri) were separated to the genus Gracupica when Sturnus was split, following phylogenetic studies in 2008. In the past it had also been placed in Sturnopastor, Acridotheres and Graculipica.
The black-collared starling is 26–30 cm (10–12 in) long. The head is white, with a yellow patch of bare skin around the eye, and a black collar around the neck. The mantle, back and wings are dark brown, appearing almost black. The underparts are white, often with a grey-brown tinge. The tail and most of the covert and flight feathers are tipped white, with the primary coverts completely white... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuen Mun | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Taipei | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 3 | Hong Kong | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | Xiuying District | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 5 | Xiamen City | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 6 | Quanzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 7 | Guangzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 8 | Bangkok | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 9 | Nanchang | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 10 | Fuzhou | 🇨🇳 China |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disney's Animal Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | |
| 5 | Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 6 | Green World Ecological Farm | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 7 | Penang Bird Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Melaka Bird Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Black-collared Starling sighting in Hong Kong on a given day, based on 2,237 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 8th most-seen of the 204 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and July–September
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Black-collared Starling in Hong Kong on a given day, against about 50% in December, the lowest month. Those are among Hong Kong's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain a month against 25 mm in December.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-collared Starling sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Among the best
Of the 26 cities where we can rate Black-collared Starling sightings, Hong Kong ranks 3rd at about 70%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Tuen Mun (China, about 70%) and Taipei (Taiwan, about 70%).
Same family: Sturnidae
The closest relatives of the Black-collared Starling that you can see in Hong Kong (family Sturnidae, Starlings) are Crested Myna (about 40%) and White-shouldered Starling (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-collared Starling is recorded against all the birds logged in Hong Kong (2,237 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
