Jan 10

Bird of the day

White-collared starling

Grafisia torquata

The white-collared starling (Grafisia torquata) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is monotypic within the genus Grafisia. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon.

White-collared starlings are dimorphic in adulthood, with sexual differences in both size and coloration. Adult males have a glossy-black plumage save for a white patch on the chest which extends up to the wings; their bill and legs are black and a bright yellow iris. Adult females are primarily grey with black-tipped wing and tail feathers; the feathers on its crown and rump have blue-black tips. Juveniles and subadults tend to resemble the female, but with more brownish-grey feathers on their ventral plumage.

The white-collared starling has been reported to have both a chirruping and a call of three short whistled notes.

Aliases

Grafisia torquata