Wattled Starling
Creatophora cinerea
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilySturnidae (Starlings)
- GenusCreatophora
- SpeciesCreatophora cinerea (Wattled Starling)
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. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Wattled Starling sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve, based on 778 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Masai Mara National Reserve
Superb Starling
Lamprotornis superbus
Rüppell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis purpuroptera
Greater Blue-eared Starling
Lamprotornis chalybaeus
Hildebrandt's Starling
Lamprotornis hildebrandti
Violet-backed Starling
Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
Red-winged Starling
Onychognathus morio
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Macronyx croceus
Grey-backed Fiscal
Lanius excubitoroides
Sooty Chat
Myrmecocichla nigra
Yellow-billed Oxpecker
Buphagus africanus
Yellow-fronted Canary
Crithagra mozambica
📅 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 Wattled Starling in Masai Mara National Reserve?
About 27% of wildlife watchers report a Wattled Starling sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve, based on 778 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Wattled Starling in Masai Mara National Reserve?
August has the highest sighting rate for Wattled Starling in Masai Mara National Reserve in our monthly data.