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 →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Violet-backed Starling sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 72 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Etosha National Park
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis nitens
Burchell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis australis
Wattled Starling
Creatophora cinerea
Greater Blue-eared Starling
Lamprotornis chalybaeus
Meves's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis mevesii
Pale-winged Starling
Onychognathus nabouroup
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
African Red-eyed Bulbul
Pycnonotus nigricans
Cape Crow
Corvus capensis
Pied Crow
Corvus albus
Mariqua Flycatcher
Bradornis mariquensis
Sabota Lark
Calendulauda sabota
📅 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 Etosha National Park?
About 5% of wildlife watchers report a Violet-backed Starling sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 72 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Violet-backed Starling in Etosha National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Violet-backed Starling in Etosha National Park in our monthly data.