Lamprotornis fischeri
Silhouette: Rafael Maia · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
Fischer's starling (Lamprotornis fischeri) is a bird which is an uncommon resident breeder from southern Ethiopia and Somalia to eastern Kenya and Tanzania. It is found in dry open acacia thornbush. The English and scientific names commemorate the 19th century German explorer of East Africa Gustav Fischer.
The adult of this 18 cm (7.1 in) long, 51 g (1.8 oz) starling has mainly dully ash-grey plumage except for a white lower chest, belly and undertail. It has a white iris and dark bill. The sexes are alike, but the juvenile has browner plumage, a brown iris and a dull yellow lower mandible. There are no subspecies.
This species has a number of calls, but the most familiar is a wheezing cree-wee-creewoo. There is also a loud whistle and a metallic song. Fischer's starling usually nests in thorn trees, typically 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) above the ground. The roofed nest is made from grasses and lined with feathers. It has a ramp and opening in its side. Up to six red-spotted blue eggs make up the clutch, and are laid in April to May and September to November.
Both parents feed the chicks, assisted by helpers, which are typically subadult or unmated... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 9 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Fischer's Starling sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 490th most-seen of the 519 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Fischer's Starling in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fischer's 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.
8th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Fischer's Starling sightings, Ngorongoro Conservation Area ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 60%), Tsavo West National Park (Kenya, about 40%) and Mkomazi National Park (Tanzania, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Lamprotornis
The closest relatives of the Fischer's Starling that you can see in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (genus Lamprotornis, Glossy Starlings and Allies) are Superb Starling (about 60%) and Hildebrandt's Starling (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fischer's Starling is recorded against all the birds logged in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
