LC
Violet-backed Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2018 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency medium
Land-mass type Average mass 44 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 23,900,000 km2 medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 23,600,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown - - -
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 4.1 years - - -

Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as common to abundant throughout its range (Feare and Craig 1998).

Trend justification: The species's population is suspected to be declining in line with the clearance and degradation of highland forest within its range. The likely rate of decline, however, has not been estimated.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Angola extant native
Benin extant native
Botswana extant native
Burkina Faso extant native
Burundi extant native
Cameroon extant native
Central African Republic extant native
Chad extant native
Congo extant native
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant native
Côte d'Ivoire extant native
Djibouti extant native
Eritrea extant native
Eswatini extant native
Ethiopia extant native
Gabon extant native
Gambia extant native
Ghana extant native
Guinea extant native
Guinea-Bissau extant native
Israel extant vagrant
Kenya extant native
Lesotho extant vagrant
Liberia extant native
Malawi extant native
Mali extant native
Mauritania extant vagrant
Mozambique extant native
Namibia extant native
Niger extant native
Nigeria extant native
Rwanda extant native
Saudi Arabia extant native yes
Senegal extant native
Sierra Leone extant native
Somalia extant native
South Africa extant native
South Sudan extant native yes
Sudan extant native
Tanzania extant native
Togo extant native
Uganda extant native
United Arab Emirates extant vagrant yes
Yemen extant native yes
Zambia extant native
Zimbabwe extant native

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Rural Gardens suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Rural Gardens suitable breeding
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Dry major non-breeding
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Dry major breeding
Savanna Dry major non-breeding
Savanna Dry major breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Freshwater Springs and Oases suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Freshwater Springs and Oases suitable breeding
Altitude 0 - 2500 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture international

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Violet-backed Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/violet-backed-starling-cinnyricinclus-leucogaster on 26/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 26/12/2024.