Ashy Starling

Ashy Starling

Lamprotornis unicolor

Silhouette: Rafael Maia · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
at Tarangire National Park

In 3 days >90%

1,774 Verified sightings at Tarangire National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,052 In all 4 parks
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Ashy Starling

The ashy starling (Lamprotornis unicolor) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. It is alternatively placed in the genus Cosmopsarus or Spreo. BirdLife International 2004. Cosmopsarus unicolor. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 24 July 2007. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:35

Tanzania · 2019

© Peter Boesman · XC510202 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song1:01

Tanzania · 2017

© Frank Lambert · XC429654 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:55

Tanzania · 2018

© Bernard BOUSQUET · XC424365 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~80%
2 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~70%
3 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
4 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Selwo Marina 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Ashy Starling in Tarangire National Park?

Very likely

About 80% of wildlife watchers report an Ashy Starling sighting in Tarangire National Park on a given day, based on 1,774 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 411 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Ashy Starling in Tarangire National Park?

January, March–June and November

In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report an Ashy Starling in Tarangire National Park on a given day, against about 70% in September and October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see an Ashy Starling?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ashy 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.

Is Tarangire National Park the best place to see an Ashy Starling?

Yes

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Ashy Starling sightings, Tarangire National Park has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Ruaha National Park (Tanzania, about 70%) and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Ashy Starling live in Tarangire National Park?

Same genus: Lamprotornis

The closest relatives of the Ashy Starling that you can see in Tarangire National Park (genus Lamprotornis, Glossy Starlings and Allies) are Superb Starling (about 90%) and Hildebrandt's Starling (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Ashy Starling sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Ashy Starling is recorded against all the birds logged in Tarangire National Park (1,774 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.

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