Tristram's Grackle
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Tristram's Grackle |
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Onychognathus tristramii (Sclater, 1858) |
Tristram's Grackle or Tristram's Starling, Onychognathus tristramii, is native to Israel, Jordan, and south-western Saudi Arabia, nesting mainly on rocky cliff faces.
Members of the starling family, they have an iridescent black plumage with orange wing-patches, which are particularly noticeable in flight.
Tristram's Grackles are gregarious and noisy, with a call that resembles a wolf-whistle. They feed on fruit, although they can also be observed grooming the local Nubian ibex.
Tristram's Grackle is named for Reverend Henry Baker Tristram.