Makira Starling
Aplonis dichroa
A rather small, entirely dark starling with a glossy-blue sheen to the head and a more purple sheen elsewhere. Wings and tail are a dull matte earth-brown. Eye is dark. Prefers forest and forest edge, more common inland. Common calls include a long rising whistle, high-pitched squeaks and clicks, and melodic chattering.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Aplonis dichroa
- Authority
- (Tristram, 1895)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Genus
- Aplonis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Shining Sunbeam
Aglaeactis cupripennis
Large, dark-brown hummingbird with lilac-gold iridescent lower back and rump. Like other sunbeams, it has a proportionally short bill for a hummingbird. Inhabits high elevation, semi-arid montane ridges and cloud forests. You are my sunbeam, my Shining Sunbeam / You make me happy when you display / Aglaeactis cupripennis / Please don’t take my sunbeam away.
White-winged Black-Tit
Melaniparus leucomelas
A black tit with a mostly white wing and a white outer tail. Found in moister types of savanna, both broadleaf and thorny. Usually in pairs or small groups which are loud and conspicuous. Call is a classic tit “chee-chi-chi-chi-chi,” raspy and often repeated. The song consists of wispy, musical, up-and-down whistles. Very similar to White-shouldered Black-Tit, and best separated by the dark, rather than yellow, eyes.
White-browed Robin
Poecilodryas superciliosa
Small round songbird of heavy vegetation along creeks and thick wet forest in coastal northeastern Australia. Grayish brown above, white below, with white supercilium, dark ear coverts, and white markings in wing and tail. Usually carries tail cocked upright. Compare Buff-sided Robin, which has orangish flanks and undertail (and note range). Calls include an electrifying rapid three-note "zap-zap-zap," as well as a multi-note whistled phrase.
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