Red-Winged Starling
Onychognathus morio
Also known as: African Red-Winged Starling
Habitat
Understory
Diet
Omnivore
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
133 g
About This Species
Look for noisy flocks around cliffs, quarries, bridges and city buildings across southern Africa, where glossy black plumage and chestnut wing patches flash in flight. They are bold around picnic sites and car parks, scavenging scraps alongside fruit and insects, and their loud whistling calls often give them away before they are seen. Breeding pairs build mud nests on ledges and man-made structures, so gorges and urban rooftops are reliable spots year-round.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep a respectful distance of at least a few metres, more if a nest is visible on a ledge or building, since repeated disturbance can cause pairs to abandon a site.
- Wild bird nests are protected under wildlife legislation across most of their southern African range, and rules on handling or disturbing nests vary by country, so check local regulations rather than assuming one standard applies everywhere.
- Avoid offering food, which encourages the bold scavenging behaviour that already brings them into conflict with people.
LCAvesPasseriformesSturnidae
Seasonal Activity
227,576 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sturnidae
Traits
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Foraging
- Understory
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 133 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.