Species profile
About the ashy starling
The ashy starling is one of Tanzania's true endemics, restricted to the dry acacia and baobab country of the north-central and central plateau. Unlike its glossy relatives it is a soft, uniform ash-grey with a faint sheen and a notably long tail.
Tarangire is the classic place to see it — parties work the ground between baobabs and around the picnic sites — and it also occurs in Ruaha. For visitors keeping a list of species found only in Tanzania, it is usually the easiest one to tick.
Life in the wild
Behavior & relationships
Behavior
Forages mostly on the ground in small parties, flying up into baobabs and acacias when disturbed. Confiding around picnic sites and camps.
Social life
Sociable, moving in groups of about five to twenty, and nesting in natural cavities in baobabs and old woodpecker holes.
What makes it remarkable
Special features
Endemic to Tanzania, with a global range essentially confined to the country’s central dry woodlands.
