Photo: Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pale-winged Starling
Onychognathus nabouroup
Pale-winged Starling (Onychognathus nabouroup) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pale-winged Starling (Onychognathus nabouroup) is a member of the Sturnidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 102 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Sturnidae Starlings, Rhabdornises
- Genus Onychognathus
- Species nabouroup
Quick facts
- Weight
- 102 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Near Threatened
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pale-winged Starling is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of rocky terrain, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Pale-winged Starling is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pale-winged Starling (Onychognathus nabouroup) is a species of bird in the Sturnidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF sw Angola to s and c South Africa.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 102 g, with a wing length of about 14.2 cm and a tail of around 10.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 984,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pale-winged Starling?
The Pale-winged Starling is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 102 g.
Where does the Pale-winged Starling live?
The Pale-winged Starling is found across Africa with a range covering AF sw Angola to s and c South Africa, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Pale-winged Starling belong to?
The Pale-winged Starling (Onychognathus nabouroup) belongs to the Sturnidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Pale-winged Starling eat?
The Pale-winged Starling is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Pale-winged Starling migrate?
The Pale-winged Starling is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pale-winged Starling endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Pale-winged Starling make?
1 real field recording of the Pale-winged Starling can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pale-winged Starling's range?
The Pale-winged Starling has a mapped global range of about 984,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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