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Tristram's Grackle, Tristramstar, Onychognathus tristramii
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.
Infos are from “Birds of Egypt” and “Birdforum“
2009-12-11. 05:59:04. 191 words, 1159 views. Categories: Birdwatch, Sturnidae / Stare, Passeriformes , 25 comments » • Send a trackback »
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25 comments
I like the way the bird is checking you out in the second shot. LOL!
Recently (2009-12-10) quilly wrote 32 Days Until …. Check it out!
Recently (2009-12-10) ramblingwoods wrote Looking At Sky On Friday~And finally Winter, with its bitin’, whinin’ wind, and all the land will be mantled with snow.~Roy Bean. Check it out!
Super shots! What a clear blue sky.
Recently (2009-12-10) Carletta wrote A Winter Rainbow. Check it out!
Sei lieb gegrüßt
Kvelli
kürzlich (2009-12-10) Jouir la vie wrote Der Naturfreund empfiehlt. Check it out!
Have a great Friday! :vawe:
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The look like Magpies if you ask me
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"Das Auge macht das Bild, nicht die Kamera" (Gisèle Freund, Fotografin)
kürzlich (2009-12-11) april wrote Heute schon geflirtet?. Check it out!
@April - Die Kraehen hier sehr intelligent.
King und JoJo hatten's mal auf ein paar abgesehen.
Jetzt, wann immer die 2 um die Ecke kommen, "spielen" die Kraehen Katz und Maus mit den beiden. Zu ulkig
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!@BengBeng - good Idea.
I sometimes use my little Casio for that, but usually I am too lazy to haul that thing around with the almost 3kg of my big Babe.
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Glad you looked up - and great photos.
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Janice.
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@Kelly - yupp - can get you some angry looks, can't it?
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