Violet-backed Starling
Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilySturnidae (Starlings)
- GenusCinnyricinclus
- SpeciesCinnyricinclus leucogaster (Violet-backed Starling)
The violet-backed starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster), also known as the plum-coloured starling or amethyst starling, or Ndambamukula in the Venda language, is a relatively small species (17 cm) of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is the only member of the genus Cinnyricinclus. This strongly sexually dimorphic species is found widely in the woodlands and savannah forest edges of mainland sub-Saharan Africa. It is rarely seen on the ground, but instead found in trees and other locations away from the ground. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Violet-backed Starling sighting in Hwange National Park, based on 35 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Hwange National Park
Meves's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis mevesii
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis nitens
Greater Blue-eared Starling
Lamprotornis chalybaeus
Red-winged Starling
Onychognathus morio
Wattled Starling
Creatophora cinerea
Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis chloropterus
Burchell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis australis
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Magpie Shrike
Urolestes melanoleucus
Arrow-marked Babbler
Turdoides jardineii
Southern White-crowned Shrike
Eurocephalus anguitimens
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Violet-backed Starling in Hwange National Park?
About 8% of wildlife watchers report a Violet-backed Starling sighting in Hwange National Park, based on 35 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Violet-backed Starling in Hwange National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Violet-backed Starling in Hwange National Park in our monthly data.