Alternative name: Fead Island Starling
- Aplonis feadensis
Identification
20cm. A medium-sized Starling
- Black head and body with turquoise-green gloss
- Brownish-black wing with some gloss
- Yellow or dark yellow eye
- Black bill and legs
Sexes similar. Juveniles without gloss on upperparts and pale feather edges on underparts (resulting in a scaly effect)
Distribution
Found on small islands north of New Guinea, off New Ireland, Bougainville and northern Solomon Islands.
Fairly common but with a very small global range. Colonization of these islands by Singing Starling is a thread.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies[1]:
- A. f. feadensis:
- Ontong Java Island (Solomon Islands); Nissan and Nuguria islands (New Guinea)
- A. f. heureka:
- Bismarck Archipelago (Ninigo and Hermit Islands)
Habitat
Forest, forest edges and gardens.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on berries and insects.
Forages usually in pairs or small flocks.
Breeding
Breeding season from June to July. It nests in holes in old and damaged trees and coconut palms. Lays 2 eggs.
Movements
A resident species.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
- BirdLife International
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Atoll Starling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Atoll_Starling
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
