Tristram's Starling (Onychognathus tristramii)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Tristram's Starling

Onychognathus tristramii (Sclater, PL, 1858)

123 gWeight

Tristram's starling (Onychognathus tristramii), also known as Dead Sea starling or Tristram's grackle, is a species of starling native to the Middle East.

Busiest months: March–April · Most records: Israel, Palestinian Territories, Oman

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Tristram's Starling has been recorded at 19 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. International Birding and Research Center Eilat (IBRCE)Israel1,422 records
  2. Yeruham LakeIsrael729 records
  3. Eilat north beachIsrael714 records
More places
  1. Kfar AdumimPalestinian Territories435 records
  2. PetraJordan411 records
  3. Ayn HamranOman360 records
  4. Kokhav Hashakhar NPPalestinian Territories148 records
  5. Khawr RawriOman142 records
  6. Jerusalem Bird ObservatoryIsrael132 records
  7. Mt. KabirPalestinian Territories126 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IsraelPalestinian TerritoriesOmanJordanSaudi Arabia

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

Tristram's starling (Onychognathus tristramii), also known as Dead Sea starling or Tristram's grackle, is a species of starling native to the Middle East. It is the only member of the genus Onychognathus found mainly outside of Africa. The species is named after Reverend Henry Baker Tristram, who collected natural history specimens.

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

Questions

How big is the Tristram's Starling?

The Tristram's Starling weighs around 123 g.

Where does the Tristram's Starling live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: Arabian Peninsula. It is most often recorded in Israel, Palestinian Territories and Oman.

When is the best time to see the Tristram's Starling?

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

Is the Tristram's Starling endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Tristram's Starling as Least Concern.

What does the Tristram's Starling eat?

Main food: Fruit.

What family is the Tristram's Starling in?

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

At a glance

Weight
123 g
Habitat
Rocky terrain
Diet
Fruit
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
146 mm
Tail
114 mm
Bill
31 mm
Tarsus
31 mm

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

Range

Palearctic: Arabian Peninsula

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 walleriSomali StarlingSomali StarlingOnychognathus blythiiSocotra StarlingSocotra StarlingOnychognathus fraterPale-winged StarlingPale-winged StarlingOnychognathus nabouroupBristle-crowned StarlingBristle-crowned StarlingOnychognathus salvadoriiWhite-billed StarlingWhite-billed StarlingOnychognathus albirostrisNeumann's StarlingNeumann's StarlingOnychognathus neumanni
Tristram's Starling

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