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 →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Wattled Starling sighting in Virunga National Park, based on 159 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Virunga National Park
Rüppell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis purpuroptera
Waller's Starling
Onychognathus walleri
Narrow-tailed Starling
Poeoptera lugubris
Slender-billed Starling
Onychognathus tenuirostris
Stuhlmann's Starling
Poeoptera stuhlmanni
Violet-backed Starling
Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
Purple-headed Starling
Hylopsar purpureiceps
Splendid Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis splendidus
Greater Blue-eared Starling
Lamprotornis chalybaeus
Chestnut-winged Starling
Onychognathus fulgidus
Bronze-tailed Glossy-Starling
Lamprotornis chalcurus
Purple Glossy-Starling
Lamprotornis purpureus
📅 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 Virunga National Park?
About 4% of wildlife watchers report a Wattled Starling sighting in Virunga National Park, based on 159 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Wattled Starling in Virunga National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Wattled Starling in Virunga National Park in our monthly data.