Photo: Doug Janson / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Wattled Starling
Creatophora cinerea
Wattled Starling (Creatophora cinerea) — 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 Wattled Starling (Creatophora cinerea) is a member of the Sturnidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 73 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 Creatophora
- Species cinerea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 73 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Wattled Starling is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Wattled Starling is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Wattled Starling (Creatophora cinerea) is a species of bird in the Sturnidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia to Angola, Namibia and South Africa.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 73 g, with a wing length of about 11.8 cm and a tail of around 6.4 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 5.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Wattled Starling?
The Wattled Starling is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 73 g.
Where does the Wattled Starling live?
The Wattled Starling is found across Africa with a range covering AF Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia to Angola, Namibia and South Africa, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Wattled Starling belong to?
The Wattled Starling (Creatophora cinerea) belongs to the Sturnidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Wattled Starling eat?
The Wattled Starling is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Wattled Starling migrate?
The Wattled Starling is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Wattled 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 Wattled Starling make?
1 real field recording of the Wattled 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 Wattled Starling's range?
The Wattled Starling has a mapped global range of about 5.4 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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