Photo: Alandmanson / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-winged Starling
Onychognathus morio
Red-winged Starling (Onychognathus morio) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-winged Starling (Onychognathus morio) is a member of the Sturnidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 133 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 morio
Quick facts
- Weight
- 133 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-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 Red-winged Starling is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Red-winged Starling (Onychognathus morio) is a species of bird in the Sturnidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e, se, s.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 133 g, with a wing length of about 15.4 cm and a tail of around 14 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-winged Starling?
The Red-winged Starling is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 133 g.
Where does the Red-winged Starling live?
The Red-winged Starling is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, se, s, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Red-winged Starling belong to?
The Red-winged Starling (Onychognathus morio) belongs to the Sturnidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Red-winged Starling eat?
The Red-winged Starling is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Red-winged Starling migrate?
The Red-winged Starling is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Red-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 Red-winged Starling make?
1 real field recording of the Red-winged Starling — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-winged Starling's range?
The Red-winged Starling has a mapped global range of about 3.7 million 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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