Wattled starling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wattled starling |
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| Male singing | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Creatophora
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| Species: |
cinerea
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The wattled starling (Creatophora cinerea) is a special bird that moves around a lot in eastern and southern Africa. You can find it in grasslands, open woodlands, and even on farms.
This bird is the only African starling that seems related to starlings from Asia. It has unique bare skin patches on its face. It can also find food by opening its bill in the grass, which is special among African starlings. It is the only bird in its group, called Creatophora.
This common bird is now spreading its home into West Africa. It has also been seen in places like Arabia, Madagascar, and the Seychelles.
Contents
What Does the Wattled Starling Look Like?
The wattled starling is about 21 cm long. It has a short tail and pointy wings. Most of its feathers are grey, but its lower back is white. Its flight feathers and tail are black.
When a male is ready to breed, it looks very different. It has a white patch on its shoulder. Its head has bare yellow skin and black fleshy growths called wattles on its forehead and throat. Older females might also show some of these features, but they are usually not as strong.
When a male is not breeding, its head has feathers. It only has a small yellow patch behind its eye. It does not have the wattles, but it has a black stripe like a mustache. Its white shoulder patch is much smaller. Female and young birds look similar to the non-breeding male. However, their flight feathers and tail are brown.
When this bird flies, you can easily spot it. Its black wings and tail, along with its white lower back, make it easy to recognize.
Wattled starlings make different sounds. They have wheezing or grating calls, similar to the common starling. Their most common sound is a wheezing ssreeeeo.
How Do Wattled Starlings Behave?
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Wattled starlings like to nest together in large groups. They sometimes share their nesting areas with other birds, like the Cape weaver. They always build their nests in trees or bushes. This includes trees like acacias and eucalyptus, usually between 1 and 10 meters off the ground.
Their nest is shaped like a ball. It is made from twigs and lined with soft grass or feathers. The female lays two to five eggs, but usually three or four. The eggs are pale blue and can be plain or have some brown spots. They lay the eggs before the top of the nest is fully built. Both the male and female birds help build the nest. They also take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm. Both parents feed the young birds after they hatch.
The eggs hatch after about 11 days. The baby birds leave the nest in another 13 to 16 days. When they first leave, they cannot fly very well. This means they can be easily caught by large birds of prey.
These birds only breed when there is a lot of insect food available. If the insect supply disappears, they might even leave their nests and chicks. For example, if many locusts are destroyed by people trying to control them, the starlings might abandon their colony.
Living Together: Flocks and Roosts
Wattled starlings are very social birds. They often form huge groups, sometimes with other types of starlings. They also share large sleeping places, called roosts, which are often in reed beds.
What Do Wattled Starlings Eat?
Like other starlings, the wattled starling eats many different things. It is an omnivore. It eats a wide range of invertebrates, seeds, and berries. However, its main food is insects, especially many locusts. Because they eat so many locusts, people sometimes call them "locust birds."
They will also look for food at trash piles. You can often see them sitting on farm animals. They eat insects that the animals stir up. They also pick off tiny bugs that live on the animals, called ectoparasites.
