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Neumann's Starling Onychognathus neumanni Scientific name definitions

Adrian J. F. Craig, C. J. Feare, and Eduardo de Juana
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2009

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

25–30 cm. Large dark starling with long, graduated tail and heavy, deep bill. Male nominate race has uniformly glossy black plumage, except for narrowly black-tipped chestnut primaries; iris dark red; bill black; legs black. Female has crown, nape, side of head, chin, throat and upper breast ash-grey with some blue-black streaking; otherwise resembles male. Juvenile resembles male but duller. Race modicus is somewhat shorter-tailed than nominate, with tail shorter than wing length, iris brown.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Sometimes treated as conspecific with O. morio. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Onychognathus neumanni neumanni Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E Mali, S Niger, N and SE Nigeria, N Cameroon, E Chad and adjacent W Sudan, and W Central African Republic.
SUBSPECIES

Onychognathus neumanni modicus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

S Mauritania, SE Senegal, NE Guinea, SW Mali, N Ivory Coast and SW Burkina Faso.

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Rocky outcrops, cliffs and inselbergs within Sahel zone; also around houses along R Niger. As low as 500 m in Nigeria; up to 2500 m in Sudan.

Movement

Presumed resident; perhaps nomadic, as periodically absent from breeding areas in Cameroon, and flocks seen far from normal rocky habitats in Senegal.

Diet and Foraging

Diet mainly fruit, including figs (Ficus) and dates of palm Phoenix reclinata; possibly nectar of Bombax; insects such as ants (Formicidae); also small snails (Gastropoda), which are broken on an "anvil". In pairs and small flocks.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Low whistle from perched birds and musical "too-whee-oo" from nesting pair; melodious whistles reminiscent of those of orioles (Oriolus). Alarm a harsh "air air".

Breeding

Season Mar–Sept in Mali, Jun–Jul in Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, Apr–May in Nigeria, Feb–Mar in Cameroon, and Jul–Aug in Sudan. Nest a simple cup of straw, placed on rock ledge in cave; nestlings fed by both parents. A nest on a ledge on a building reported from Bamako, Mali (1).No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Locally not uncommon; scarce in some areas. Wide range, but presence localized because of habitat requirements.
Distribution of the Neumann's Starling - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Neumann's Starling

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Craig, A. J. F., C. J. Feare, and E. de Juana (2020). Neumann's Starling (Onychognathus neumanni), 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.neusta1.01
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