Mar 25

Bird of the day

Kenrick's starling

Poeoptera kenricki

Kenrick's starling (Poeoptera kenricki) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.

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.

Aliases

Poeoptera kenricki

Data retrieved on October 15, 2025 at 5:41 AM