Violet-backed Starling

Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

Silhouette: Rafael Maia · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilySturnidae (Starlings)
GenusCinnyricinclus
SpeciesCinnyricinclus leucogaster (Violet-backed Starling)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Samburu National Reserve

5 Verified sightings at Samburu National Reserve From 2019 to 2026

6,777 Verified sightings across all 48 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the 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.

The violet-backed starling was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1775 in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle, which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text. Neither the plate caption nor Buffon's description included a scientific name but in 1783 the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert coined the binomial name Turdus leucogaster in his catalogue of the Planches Enluminées. The type locality is Benin in West Africa. The violet-backed starling... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Samburu National Reserve

Lamprotornis superbus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Creatophora cinerea

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Lamprotornis regius

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Lamprotornis fischeri

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Speculipastor bicolor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Onychognathus salvadorii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Lamprotornis purpuroptera

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Lamprotornis hildebrandti

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Lamprotornis chalybaeus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Onychognathus morio

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Plocepasser mahali

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Dinemellia dinemelli

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~30%
2	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~20%
3	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
4	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
5	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
6	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
7	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~20%
8	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
9	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
10	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
11	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
12	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
13	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
14	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
15	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
16	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
17	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
18	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
19	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
20	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~10%
21	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
22	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
23	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
24	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
25	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
26	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
27	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
28	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
29	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
30	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	<5%
31	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
32	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
33	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
34	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
35	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
36	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
37	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
38	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
39	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
40	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
41	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
42	Selous Game Reserve	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
43	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
44	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
45	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	Insufficient data
46	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
47	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
48	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data

← Back to Samburu National Reserve

Violet-backed Starling

About the Violet-backed Starling

Recent sightings of Violet-backed Starling in Samburu National Reserve

Closest Relatives at Samburu National Reserve

Superb Starling

Wattled Starling

Golden-breasted Starling

Fischer's Starling

Magpie Starling

Bristle-crowned Starling

Rüppell's Glossy-starling

Hildebrandt's Starling

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Red-winged Starling

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

White-headed Buffalo-Weaver

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found