White-billed Starlings

Starlings

The White-billed Starlings (Onychognathus albirostris) is known by a variety of names, including White-billed Chestnut-wing, White-billed Chestnut-winged Starling, White-billed Red-winged Starling or White-billed Starling.  This starling occurs naturally in the mountains of the following African countries: Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Description:

These starlings are named for their pale bills or chestnut-collared wings.  The rest of the plumage is mostly blackish or greyish on the head down to the chest / upper back.  There are feathers in front of eye directed forwards along the bill.

Size:

They measure about ~ 25 cm / 10 inches from top of the head to the tip of the comparatively short tail.  They generally weigh between 130-145 grams (4.6-5.1 oz) from top of the head to the tip of the tail.

Calls / Vocalizations:

Their songs are d escribed as an intermediate between chatter and musical whistling; and their calls as a repeated “kwit-kwit”.

Nesting / Breeding:

White-billed Starlings are monogamous.  They usually nest in rock crevices in cliffs or – in urban areas – on buildings.  The average clutch consists of four eggs.

Global Names:

• Catalan:  estornell becblanc
• Chinese:  白嘴栗翅椋鸟 / 白嘴栗翅椋鳥
• Croatian:  etiopski čvorak
• Czech:  špaček bělozobý
• Danish:  Etiopisk Sortstær
• Dutch:   Witsnavelspreeuw
• Finnish: etiopianrakkeli
• French:  Rufipenne à bec blanc
• German:  Weißschnabelstar
• Hungarian:  fehércsőrű dalosseregély
• Italian:  Storno beccobianco
• Japanese:  hashijiroterimuku / ハシジロテリムク
• Lithuanian:   Baltasnapis ilgauodegis varnėnas
• Norwegian:  Kvitnebbstare / Hvitnebbstær
• Polish:  czarnotek białodzioby
• Portuguese:  estorninho-de-bico-branco
• Russian:  Белоклювый скворец
• Slovak:  liskavec bielozobý
• Spanish:  Estornino Piquiblanco
• Swedish:  vitnäbbad glansstare
• Ukrainian:  Моріо ефіопський

Please Note: The articles or images on this page are the sole property of the authors or photographers. Please contact them directly with respect to any copyright or licensing questions. Thank you.