Rennell Starling
Aplonis insularis
A medium-sized, uniformly black starling with a glossy purplish-bluish sheen and a short tail. Bill is relatively thick and stubby. Arrow-shaped throat feathers are often puffed out. Eye pale orange. Juvenile resembles adult, but dustier in color, with a gray eye. Prefers forest edge; less common inside forest and open areas. Very similar to Singing Starling, but distinguished by pale eye, shorter tail, and lack of dark streaks on belly of juvenile. Song consists of metallic warbling. Common call is a metallic “chink.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Aplonis insularis
- Authority
- Mayr, 1931
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Genus
- Aplonis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Blue Whistling-Thrush
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