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

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

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

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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