Madagascar Starling
Hartlaubius auratus
Slim, dark-brown starling. Male is rich brown while female is paler and grayer. Both sexes have a big white patch in the wing that is conspicuous in flight. Madagascar endemic that is found most commonly in rainforest, but also in dry deciduous forest, gallery forest, scrub, and plantations. Usually found in pairs or small flocks, often around fruiting trees. Call is a simple “pu-leet” that is often given in flight. Much smaller and slimmer than Common Myna. Unlike Madagascar Bulbul, shows a dark bill and a white wing patch.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Hartlaubius auratus
- Authority
- (Müller, PLS, 1776)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Genus
- Hartlaubius
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds

Corsican Nuthatch
Sitta whiteheadi
Endemic to the island of Corsica, where it is the sole nuthatch species. Small, gray above and pale below with a long bill. Male has a more contrasting head pattern than the female. Nests in tree cavities in pine woods, especially at 1,000-1,500 m (3,300-5,000 ft). Call is a fast and vibrating "hididididi." Feeds on pine seeds and invertebrates.

Indian Pond-Heron
Ardeola grayii
A small heron that is common in most aquatic habitats across the Indian subcontinent. Adults in breeding plumage have a dark reddish brown back that contrasts with a yellowish head, neck, and breast. In nonbreeding plumage they are virtually indistinguishable from nonbreeding Chinese Pond-Heron. In flight, adults appear surprisingly white due to their strikingly white wings, underparts, and tail. Although typically solitary, large numbers often gather where food is plentiful. Prone to seasonally local movements and vagrancy.

Great-winged Petrel
Pterodroma macroptera
A medium-sized, bulky dark petrel with a large head and long pointed wings. It often shows a grizzled, gray scaly muzzle around the bill. It flies fast with a flexed wrist and its heavy head angled downward, giving it a characteristic appearance. It breeds on subantarctic islands between the Tristan group and western Australia, dispersing across the southern oceans between 30 and 50°S, where it is a deep ocean specialist. Several species are similar to Great-winged Petrel. Gray-faced Petrel, sometimes considered the same species, breeds off New Zealand and is almost identical except for a more extensive grizzled face patch. The smaller Kerguelen Petrel has a more contrasting silvery underwing. The gadfly petrels mostly have more pale patterning on the underwing or belly and lack the bulkiness of Great-winged Petrel.
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