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Sturnidae
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Grafisia
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White-collared Starling Grafisia torquata Scientific name definitions

Adrian J. F. Craig and C. J. Feare
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated March 7, 2019

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

21 cm; 61–67 g. Medium-sized, dark starling. Male is uniformly glossy blue-black , except for white patch on upper breast (ending sharply in line with wing); iris orange-yellow with deep orange outer ring; bill and legs black. Female is charcoal-grey without gloss, but feathers from crown to rump tipped blue-black, wing and tail dull black; bare parts as male. Juvenile is like female in pattern, but brownish-grey underparts, iris dark brown.

Systematics History

Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Locally in C & N Cameroon (Adamawa Plateau and Bamenda Highlands), N Central African Republic, N Congo and N DRCongo; non-breeding in Gabon and W Congo. Recently recorded in extreme W DRCongo, where status uncertain (1).

Habitat

Open woodland and savanna; recorded also in montane grassland to 1200 m in Cameroon.

Movement

Possible seasonal movements; non-breeding visitor in Gabon and parts of PRCongo.

Diet and Foraging

Diet probably mainly fruit; insects also reported in stomach contents. Fruits of Ficus, Musanga, Macaranga assas and Xylopia aethiopica. Forages in trees with frugivores, including Lamprotornis splendidus; does not descend to ground. Hawks insects from treetops or above canopy. In pairs and small flocks, and once a larger flock of more than 100 individuals in Congo Basin.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song, apparently from both sexes, and perhaps from groups perched in trees, said to be reminiscent of song of Lamprotornis species. Call of 3 short whistled notes, and chirruping described.

Breeding

In breeding condition and possible nest-building in Cameroon in Feb–Mar. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Very poorly known, and status unclear. Apparently uncommon to locally common within fragmented range.
Distribution of the White-collared Starling - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the White-collared Starling

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Craig, A. J. F. and C. J. Feare (2020). White-collared Starling (Grafisia torquata), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.whcsta2.01
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