Onychognathus walleri
Waller's Starling (Onychognathus walleri) is a striking, medium-sized passerine bird belonging to the Sturnidae family, renowned for its glossy black plumage and vibrant contrasting features. Measuring approximately 20-25 cm (8-10 inches) in length, adults are characterized by their iridescent black body, which gives way to prominent rufous-chestnut primary flight feathers, creating a distinctive patch visible particularly in flight. Its bright, fiery red eyes are a captivating field mark, co...
This starling is primarily found in montane evergreen forests, rocky cliffs, and gorges, often utilizing human structures like old buildings and quarries. It typically inhabits elevations ranging from 1,000 meters up to 3,500 meters.
The diet of Waller's Starling is omnivorous, predominantly consisting of fruits (especially figs) and a variety of insects, with some consumption of nectar and occasionally small vertebrates.
Waller's Starling is a diurnal species, often observed singly, in pairs, or small family groups, occasionally forming larger flocks outside the breeding season. They are agile foragers, employing various techniques to obtain food, including gleaning insects from foliage and bark, hawking flying i...
Waller's Starling has a fragmented, resident distribution across the montane regions of East Africa. Its range extends through central and western Kenya, eastern Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and into parts of Tanzania, Malawi, northeastern Zambia, southeastern So...
Least Concern
- Waller's Starling is named after Horace Waller (1833–1896), an English missionary, anti-slavery activist, and geographer. - It is a true high-altitude specialist, rarely found below 1,000 meters and thriving in elevations up to 3,500 meters. - The striking rufous-chestnut primary feathers are n...