Creatophora cinerea
Silhouette: Rafael Maia · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The wattled starling (Creatophora cinerea) is a nomadic resident bird in eastern and southern Africa. It is a species of grassland, open woodland, and cultivation. This is the only African starling that appears to show affinities with the Asian starlings, particularly the genus Sturnus. Its bare face patches and ability to open-bill feed in grassland are unique amongst African starlings. It is the only member of the genus Creatophora.
This common species appears to be extending its range into West Africa and has also occurred in Arabia, Madagascar, and Seychelles. The wattled starling is 21 cm long, with a short tail and pointed wings. It has mainly grey plumage except for a white rump, and black flight feathers and tail. The breeding male has a white shoulder patch and a distinctive head pattern, with unfeathered yellow skin, and black forehead and throat wattles. The extent to which these seasonal features develop increases with the age of the bird and some old females may show a weaker version of this plumage.
The non-breeding male has a feathered head except for a small yellow patch behind the eye. There are no wattles, but there is a black moustachial stripe... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Kigali | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 3 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 4 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilhelma | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Vogelpark Avifauna | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 3 | Zoo Lagos | 🇵🇹 Portugal |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Wattled Starling sighting in Nairobi on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 197th most-seen of the 234 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Wattled Starling in Nairobi on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months. That is one of Nairobi's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain against 150 mm in April.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wattled Starling sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Wattled Starling sightings, Nairobi ranks 4th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Durban (South Africa, under 5%), Kigali (Rwanda, under 5%) and Kampala (Uganda, under 5%).
Same family: Sturnidae
The closest relatives of the Wattled Starling that you can see in Nairobi (family Sturnidae, Starlings) are Superb Starling (about 10%) and Red-winged Starling (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wattled Starling is recorded against all the birds logged in Nairobi (11 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.
