Wattled Starling

The Wattled Starling is one of the most sought-after species to track on an African safari, and knowing its habits turns a hopeful search into a confident one. This field guide breaks down how to recognise the Wattled Starling at a glance, the habitats and times of day that reward patient searching, and the practical tracking craft guides rely on. Read it before you set out and you will spend less time scanning empty bush and more time watching the animal itself.

Male has prominent wattles on head and neck; plumage mainly black with green metallic sheen; wings and tail black; female lacks wattles and has duller coloration; call is loud and varied

Concentrate your search for the Wattled Starling in Open grasslands, wooded savannas, farmland, and areas near human settlements, the habitat where it feels most secure and finds its food. It is most active Diurnal, active during the day, so plan your game drives around those hours rather than the heat of midday. Across the continent the species ranges through Mainly distributed in eastern and southern Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; common in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve, and within that range the richest sightings come where prime habitat meets low human disturbance.

Finding the Wattled Starling starts long before you see it. Learn the habitat it depends on — Open grasslands, wooded savannas, farmland, and areas near human settlements — and you narrow the search from an entire landscape to a handful of promising corners. Animals are not scattered at random; they sit where food, water, cover and safety overlap, and the Wattled Starling is no exception.