About Onychognathus tristramii (P.L.Sclater, 1858)
Tristram's starling, scientifically known as Onychognathus tristramii (P.L.Sclater, 1858), reaches 25 centimeters in total length including a 9 centimeter tail, with a wingspan of 44–45 centimeters, and weighs between 100–140 grams. Males have glossy, iridescent black plumage with orange patches on the outer wing that are especially noticeable when the bird is in flight; their bill and legs are both black. Females and juvenile Tristram's starlings share a similar general appearance, but their plumage is duller, they have a greyish head, and they lack the glossy plumage seen on mature males. This species occurs in desert regions across Israel, Palestine, Jordan, the Sinai Peninsula of northeastern Egypt, NEOM (Magna), western Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman. It nests primarily on rocky cliff faces. Tristram's starling is increasingly becoming commensal with humans, feeding in towns and villages, and this behavior has allowed the species to expand its distribution northward in recent times.
