Somali Starling (Onychognathus blythii)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Somali Starling

Onychognathus blythii (Hartlaub, 1859)

100 gWeight

The Somali starling (Onychognathus blythii) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae.

Busiest months: October · Most records: Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October · Most records: Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia

Somali Starling has been recorded at 16 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Wadi SirhanYemen23 records
  2. QalansiyahYemen20 records
  3. SocotraYemen16 records
More places
  1. Melka GhebduEthiopia9 records
  2. Daalo Forest Reserve IBASomalia6 records
  3. Awash NPEthiopia4 records
  4. AsmaraEritrea3 records
  5. El AfweynSomalia2 records
  6. Las Geel Rock DrawingsSomalia2 records
  7. Banade PlainsSomalia2 records

Countries and regions with the most records

YemenEthiopiaSomaliaEritreaDjibouti

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 Somali starling (Onychognathus blythii) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Socotra.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Somali Starling?

The Somali Starling weighs around 100 g.

Where does the Somali Starling live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Socotra. It is most often recorded in Yemen, Ethiopia and Somalia.

When is the best time to see the Somali Starling?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Somali Starling endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Somali Starling as Least Concern.

What does the Somali Starling eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Somali Starling in?

It belongs to the family Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
100 g
Habitat
Rocky terrain
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
165 mm
Tail
167 mm
Bill
31 mm
Tarsus
37 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Socotra

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Starlings, Rhabdornises Sturnidae
Genus
Onychognathus

Other birds in the genus Onychognathus

Red-winged StarlingRed-winged StarlingOnychognathus morioSlender-billed StarlingSlender-billed StarlingOnychognathus tenuirostrisChestnut-winged StarlingChestnut-winged StarlingOnychognathus fulgidusWaller's StarlingWaller's StarlingOnychognathus walleriSocotra StarlingSocotra StarlingOnychognathus fraterTristram's StarlingTristram's StarlingOnychognathus tristramiiPale-winged StarlingPale-winged StarlingOnychognathus nabouroupBristle-crowned StarlingBristle-crowned StarlingOnychognathus salvadoriiWhite-billed StarlingWhite-billed StarlingOnychognathus albirostrisNeumann's StarlingNeumann's StarlingOnychognathus neumanni
Somali Starling

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by cesare dolzani. ↗

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