While visiting St. Catherine’s monastery last Saturday and listening with half an ear to our tour guide and snapping pictures, I got Sidetracked by some motion and noise above our heads.
At first glance I thought it’s some sort of a small raven, but then I saw the orange at the wing and started taking pics of this little Beauty.
Tristram’s Grackle, Tristramstar, Onychognathus tristramii
The Grackles are members of the starling family.
They are larger than your usual starling, about 25cm in length (this includes a 9cm tail)and have a glossy black plumage with orange wing patches, black bill and legs.
The plumage of the female is duller with a greyish brown head.
Grackles are very noisy. Their far-carrying call sounds a bit like a wolf whistle.
They gather in flocks and feed on fruits.
Their nests are mainly in crevices on Rock surfaces and they occur from Sea level to 3000m.
The world range of this Grackle is confined to the Middle East, Egypt’s Sinai, Israel, Jordan and Western and Southern Saudi Arabia.
Some Infos are taken from “Birds of Egypt” and “Birdforum“