Lamprotornis fischeri
Silhouette: Rafael Maia · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
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 |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Fischer's Starling sighting in Tsavo West National Park on a given day, based on 357 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 26th most-seen of the 380 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Fischer's Starling in Tsavo West National Park on a given day, against about 30% in September and November–December, the lowest months. Those are among Tsavo West National Park's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain a month against 140 mm in November.
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.
2nd of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Fischer's Starling sightings, Tsavo West National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%. The best odds are in Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Lamprotornis
The closest relatives of the Fischer's Starling that you can see in Tsavo West National Park (genus Lamprotornis, Glossy Starlings and Allies) are Superb Starling (about 70%), Golden-breasted Starling (about 30%) 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 Tsavo West National Park (357 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.
