Kenrick's Starling
Poeoptera kenricki
A small, slim dark starling. The eyes are brown, and females show chestnut patches in the wings in flight. Found in the canopy of montane forest, mostly at middle elevations, usually in small flocks which frequently gather at fruiting trees. Perches out conspicuously on dead snags and other open perches. Similar to Waller’s Starling, but smaller and slimmer, with brown rather than red eyes, and only females have reddish wing patches. Very similar to Stuhlmann’s Starling, but separated by range. The most common call is a simple “tweep.” Also gives a subdued chattering.
Identification
Kenrick's starling is a medium-sized bird with male weighing 50g and females weighing 38g. Like other birds in its genus, males are a glossy black colour and females are an ashy grey. Females also possess chestnut-coloured primary feathers, which are most easily seen during flight. It can be differentiated from Stuhlmann's starling mainly by range, with the two being separated by the Rift Valley. Kenrick's starling also has a yellow eye as compared to the slaty one of Stuhlmann's starling, although this feature is not always apparent in the field. The two subspecies differ slightly in morphology, with P. k. bensoni being larger, with a heavier bill, and a more noticeable change in colour between the lower and upper breast than P. k. kenricki.
Taxonomy
Kenrick's starling was described by George Ernest Shelley in 1894 and was named after Major Reginald Watkin Edward-Kenrick, an officer in the British army who collected the holotype in the Usambara Mountains in Tanzania. Shelley placed the starling in the obsolete genus Stillbopsar, which was composed of it alongside Stuhlmann's starling. It is now placed in the genus Poeoptera, meaning "poet bird" in Greek, with Poeo being a variation of the Greek poiéō which means "to create" - being the origin of poema, the Latin word for poem - and ptera coming from the pterá which means wing. Up until the mid 20th century, some authorities considered it conspecific with Stuhlmann's starling, or treated it as one single subspecies. There are currently two recognized subspecies:
- Scientific name
- Poeoptera kenricki
- Authority
- Shelley, 1894
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Genus
- Poeoptera
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Kenrick's starlings are cavity nesters, and have been observed nesting in the old holes of woodpeckers and barbets. Whether it also uses natural cavities is unknown. It prefers to nest in cavities that are made in dead trees or dead limbs of trees. Very little is known about its rearing behaviour besides the fact that both parents feed the chick.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Golden-green Woodpecker
Piculus chrysochloros
This medium-sized woodpecker has a large range from Panama to southeast Brazil. Both sexes are olive-green above and barred below with an obvious yellow stripe on the face. Males also have a red crown. There are several subspecies that differ primarily in facial pattern and color of the underparts; some males have a red mustache stripe and brighter yellow underparts. Singles or pairs are found in lowland forests from middle levels to the canopy, sometimes following mixed-species flocks.
Bahian Nighthawk
Nyctiprogne vielliardi
Distinctive chestnut nighthawk, lacking white marks on either the tail or wings, and barred below. Found in caatinga woodland along rivers across a restricted distribution. The song is a double-noted "whuip-purr." In flight, gives a “whip" call.
Andean Potoo
Nyctibius maculosus
Rare night bird found in high elevation Andean cloud forest. Cryptically patterned in brown and buff with white patches in the wings. Usually seen perching vertically on the tip of an exposed branch or snag. Sometimes encountered roosting or nesting during the day and may return to the same location over the course of months or even years. At night, it is usually detected by seeing its eyeshine in the beam of a light or by hearing its song—a short howl given at long intervals.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.