Photo: Meinertzhagen, 1937 / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Slender-billed Starling
Onychognathus tenuirostris
Slender-billed Starling (Onychognathus tenuirostris) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Slender-billed Starling (Onychognathus tenuirostris) is a member of the Sturnidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 118 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 tenuirostris
Quick facts
- Weight
- 118 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Slender-billed Starling is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Slender-billed Starling is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Slender-billed Starling (Onychognathus tenuirostris) is a species of bird in the Sturnidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 118 g, with a wing length of about 15.2 cm and a tail of around 15.9 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 406,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Slender-billed Starling?
The Slender-billed Starling is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 118 g.
Where does the Slender-billed Starling live?
The Slender-billed Starling is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Slender-billed Starling belong to?
The Slender-billed Starling (Onychognathus tenuirostris) belongs to the Sturnidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Slender-billed Starling eat?
The Slender-billed Starling is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Slender-billed Starling migrate?
The Slender-billed Starling is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Slender-billed 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 Slender-billed Starling make?
1 real field recording of the Slender-billed Starling — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Slender-billed Starling's range?
The Slender-billed Starling has a mapped global range of about 406,000 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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