White-eyed Starling

Aplonis brunneicapillus

An attractive starling. Adult is entirely dark glossy-green with a long, deeply forked tail, a bushy crest, and a gleaming white eye. Bill is thick and stubby. Juvenile lacks long tail, has dark eye, and is scaly below with pale mottling. Generally uncommon in forest and forest edge to 800 meters of elevation, including in swamp forest. Juvenile resembles Singing Starling, but distinguished by dark eye and scaly belly. Calls include harsh chattering and metallic whistles in flight.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Aplonis brunneicapillus
Authority
(Danis, 1938)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Sturnidae
Genus
Aplonis

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Other Birds

Fulvous-chinned Nunlet

Fulvous-chinned Nunlet

Nonnula sclateri

Chocolate-brown nunlet of mature rainforest. Usually fairly rare within its range; seems to occur mostly in upland ‘terra firme’ rainforest, where it occurs singly or in pairs in the undergrowth. Even-brown plumage and dull-orange patch at base of bill distinguish it from Rufous-capped Nunlet, which has a bright red-orange crown and orange throat and breast. Its song is a slow series of rising whistled “weep” notes, given at a rate of about one note per second.

Black-winged Lapwing

Black-winged Lapwing

Vanellus melanopterus

Large, long-legged, upland shorebird with a brown back, a white belly, and a dark gray hood. Found in grassland and cultivation; only at high elevations over much of its range. Social; often found in flocks. Call is a high-pitched “chit-chit-chit” followed by a lower “chrrrey.” Very similar to Senegal Lapwing, but slightly larger and shorter-legged, with more white on the forehead, redder legs, and more black on the breast. Easily separated in flight, when Black-winged shows a white bar across the middle of the wing.

Spotted Catbird

Spotted Catbird

Ailuroedus maculosus

Chunky rainforest bird with emerald green upperparts, black spot below the dark red eye, and green-olive underparts with extensive pale spotting. Inhabits the Wet Tropics of northern Queensland (Cairns region), thus does not overlap with similar Green Catbird. Forages mostly in middle and upper story of the rainforest. Compare female and juvenile Satin Bowerbird (with blue eye, darker bill). Spotted Catbird is well known for its characteristic catlike yowling call.

Start Your Bird Watching Journey

Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.