Violet-backed Starling
Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilySturnidae (Starlings)
- GenusCinnyricinclus
- SpeciesCinnyricinclus leucogaster (Violet-backed Starling)
The violet-backed starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster), also known as the plum-coloured starling or amethyst starling, or Ndambamukula in the Venda language, is a relatively small species (17 cm) of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is the only member of the genus Cinnyricinclus. This strongly sexually dimorphic species is found widely in the woodlands and savannah forest edges of mainland sub-Saharan Africa. It is rarely seen on the ground, but instead found in trees and other locations away from the ground. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Violet-backed Starling sighting in Arusha National Park, based on 62 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Arusha National Park
Waller's Starling
Onychognathus walleri
Kenrick's Starling
Poeoptera kenricki
Red-winged Starling
Onychognathus morio
Superb Starling
Lamprotornis superbus
Abbott's Starling
Poeoptera femoralis
Wattled Starling
Creatophora cinerea
Hildebrandt's Starling
Lamprotornis hildebrandti
Rüppell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis purpuroptera
Ashy Starling
Lamprotornis unicolor
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Tropical Boubou
Laniarius major
Northern Fiscal
Lanius humeralis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Violet-backed Starling in Arusha National Park?
About 11% of wildlife watchers report a Violet-backed Starling sighting in Arusha National Park, based on 62 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Violet-backed Starling in Arusha National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Violet-backed Starling in Arusha National Park in our monthly data.