Bird Album
Magpie Starling
Speculipastor bicolor Reichenow, 1879
16–19 cmLength64 gWeight
The magpie starling (Speculipastor bicolor) is a member of the starling family from eastern Africa.
Busiest months: January–February, April and November · Most records: Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: January–February, April and November · Most records: Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia
Magpie Starling has been recorded at 25 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Lake BaringoKenya104 records
- Lake Baringo – Inshore Cliffs and surroundsKenya94 records
- Lake Baringo – West ShoreKenya92 records
More places
- Shaba NRKenya72 records
- Buffalo Springs NRKenya58 records
- Samburu NRKenya54 records
- Buffalo Springs NR / Samburu NRKenya30 records
- Lake Bogoria NRKenya28 records
- Yabello areaEthiopia23 records
- Tsavo East NPKenya21 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The magpie starling (Speculipastor bicolor) is a member of the starling family from eastern Africa.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Magpie Starling?
The Magpie Starling is about 16–19 cm long and weighs around 64 g.
Where does the Magpie Starling live?
Its breeding range: Africa: northeastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia to northern Uganda, Kenya and northeastern Tanzania. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.
When is the best time to see the Magpie Starling?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, April and November (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Magpie Starling endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Magpie Starling as Least Concern.
What does the Magpie Starling eat?
Main food: Fruit.
What family is the Magpie Starling in?
It belongs to the family Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 16–19 cm
- Weight
- 64 g
- Habitat
- Woodland
- Diet
- Fruit
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 115 mm
- Tail
- 83 mm
- Bill
- 19 mm
- Tarsus
- 28 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: northeastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia to northern Uganda, Kenya and northeastern Tanzania
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Starlings, Rhabdornises Sturnidae
- Genus
- Speculipastor
More from the family Starlings, Rhabdornises
Metallic StarlingAplonis metallica
Yellow-eyed StarlingAplonis mystacea
Singing StarlingAplonis cantoroides
Tanimbar StarlingAplonis crassa
Atoll StarlingAplonis feadensis
Rennell StarlingAplonis insularis
Long-tailed StarlingAplonis magna
White-eyed StarlingAplonis brunneicapillus
Brown-winged StarlingAplonis grandis
Makira StarlingAplonis dichroa
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Mike Ambrose. ↗
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