Onychognathus morio

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Vernacular names
English : Red-winged starling
French : Rufipenne morio

Classification
Class : Aves
Order : Passeriformes
Family : Sturnidae
Notes : 2 subspecies known.

Identification
Plumage mostly black with dark blue iridescence on wings. Long pointed tail. Male entirely iridescent, female has grey streaked head. Rufous patch on wings, even visible when wing folded.

Range and habitat
Eastern Africa, from southeast Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea to eastern and southern South Africa. Found around rocky outcrops and mountain areas with access to well vegetated areas.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : Wide-ranging species, expanding its range and being globally common. Has colonized urban areas. Locally killed and treated as a pest (in parts of South Africa).
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

Back to “Starlings and Oxpeckers” page