Alternative names: White-winged Babbling Starling; White-winged Starling
- Neocichla gutturalis
Identification
17cm. A small starling with a distinctive plumage pattern:
- Greyish-brown head
- Dark wings and tail
- White wing patches
- Black throat patch
- Buff underparts
- Yellow eyes
- Black bill
Sexes similar. Juveniles have a dark brown crown and mantle and pale underparts with dark brown teardrops marking.
Distribution
Disjunct populations in Angola, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi.
Common in Angola otherwise very localized.
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
Two subspecies are recognized:
- N. g. gutturalis:
- N. g. angusta:
Habitat
Miombo woodland with open understory. Occurs up to 1500m.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes insects, especially termites and beetles.
Forages mainly on the ground in pairs or small flocks.
Breeding
Breeding season from August to September and October in Angola, October to November in Zambia and November in Malawi. Presumably a monogamous species, co-operative breeding suspected. It nests in tree cavities lined with lichens, moss, and grass. Lays 2 to 3 eggs.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2011. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.10). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Babbling Starling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Babbling_Starling
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
