Creatophora cinerea
The Wattled Starling (Creatophora cinerea) is a highly distinctive passerine, reaching approximately 19-21 cm in length with a wingspan of 30-36 cm and weighing 50-70 grams. Its basic plumage is generally grey-brown, complemented by a glossy black tail and primaries, and a pale, almost white belly. A defining field mark is the bare skin on the head, which in breeding males undergoes a dramatic transformation: they develop bright yellow or orange fleshy wattles and lose most of their head feat...
This highly adaptable species primarily inhabits open grasslands, savannas, and shrublands, often extending into agricultural areas and semi-arid regions from sea level up to elevations of around 2000 meters.
Predominantly insectivorous, their diet consists primarily of locusts, grasshoppers, beetles, ants, and termites, supplemented occasionally with fruit and seeds, often consumed while foraging on the ground.
Wattled Starlings are highly social and diurnal, typically foraging on the ground in large, often mixed-species flocks that can number in the thousands outside the breeding season, roosting communally in dense vegetation. They are adept insectivores, employing a characteristic "gaping" technique ...
The Wattled Starling has an extensive distribution across sub-Saharan Africa, primarily found from Senegal and Mauritania in the west, eastward through the Sahel and Horn of Africa, and southwards to South Africa. Its presence within this vast range is highly nomadic and irruptive, meaning specif...
Least Concern
- The breeding male Wattled Starling undergoes a dramatic transformation, losing most of its head feathers and developing bright yellow or orange wattles, making it look almost like a different species. - This feather loss and wattle development is temporary, lasting only for the breeding season,...