Birds diurnal

Wattled Starling

Creatophora cinerea

The Wattled Starling is Africa's nomadic 'locust bird,' famous for the male's bizarre and striking breeding ornaments. Watch as these social travelers follow the rains and transform your backyard into a bustling insect-hunting ground.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length: 21 cm (8.3 in); Weight: 64–81 g (2.3–2.9 oz)

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Colors

Primary body is pale grey; wings and tail are black. Breeding males feature bald yellow facial skin and large black fleshy wattles.

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Key Features

Breeding males have prominent black fleshy wattles on the throat and crown
Bald yellow and black facial skin
Pale grey plumage with contrasting black wings
Highly nomadic and social flocking behavior

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern diurnal

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Peak hours 7-10 AM and 3-6 PM

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Season Year-round, but most visible during locust outbreaks or the rainy season.

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Diet Primarily insectivorous, focusing heavily on locusts and grasshoppers. They also supplement their diet with other invertebrates, seeds, and small berries.

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Habitat Open grasslands, savanna, semi-arid scrub, and agricultural lands.

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Behavior

Wattled Starlings are the great nomads of the African skies. Unlike many of their more sedentary starling cousins, these birds follow the rains and insect outbreaks across the continent. They are famously known as 'locust birds' because of their tendency to descend in massive flocks upon areas experiencing grasshopper or locust swarms, providing a natural form of pest control for local farmers.

Social to the core, they are rarely seen alone. They forage in busy, chattering groups, often walking with a purposeful, jerky gait through short grass. In the backyard or farm environment, they are frequently seen trailing behind livestock, expertly snatching up the insects disturbed by the animals' movement. While they are less vocal than other starlings, their presence is marked by a constant, low-level rustling and soft whistling calls within the flock.

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Camera Tips

To capture the Wattled Starling on your backyard or trail camera, you need to think like an insect hunter. These birds are terrestrial foragers, so your camera should be mounted low—ideally between 12 and 24 inches off the ground—pointing toward an open patch of lawn or short grass. If you have a birdbath, this is the gold standard for placement. In the dry regions they inhabit, a reliable water source is an irresistible magnet that will slow them down enough for a clear shot.

Because they are nomadic, you may not see them for months, and then suddenly have fifty in your yard. To make the most of these visits, set your camera to 'Burst Mode' or 'Photo + Video.' They are incredibly fast and social; a single photo rarely captures the chaotic energy of a flock. If your camera allows for sensitivity adjustments, set it to high, as their pale grey plumage can sometimes blend into a bright, overexposed background, making them harder for some PIR sensors to distinguish.

If you are looking to attract them specifically, offer mealworms or high-protein suet on a ground-level tray. Unlike the iridescent Cape Starling, the Wattled Starling is more cautious, so ensure your camera is well-camouflaged and not placed in a high-traffic human area. The best time for lighting is the 'golden hour' shortly after sunrise, which perfectly illuminates the yellow skin on the breeding males' heads without causing harsh shadows from their wattles.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Wattled Starling.

Common Starling

Common Starlings are smaller, dark-colored with iridescent spots, and lack the Wattled Starling's bald head and fleshy wattles.

Cape Starling

Cape Starlings have brilliant glossy green-blue plumage and bright orange eyes, whereas Wattled Starlings are predominantly pale grey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wattled Starling are most active during the cooler parts of the day, specifically the first three hours after sunrise and the two hours before sunset, when they forage most intensely for insects.

The best way to attract them is to provide a shallow, clean birdbath on the ground and offer mealworms. Keeping a patch of short-mown grass will also provide them with a familiar foraging environment.

They are primarily insectivores, with a particular fondness for grasshoppers and locusts. However, they will also eat fruit, seeds, and occasionally nectar from flowering trees.

They are less common in dense urban centers but are very frequent visitors to suburban gardens on the edge of grasslands or agricultural areas, especially when following food sources.

Look for the lack of iridescence; they are matte grey rather than shiny blue or green. In breeding season, the male's bald yellow head and dangling black wattles are unmistakable.

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