Alternative names: Malabar White-headed Starling; Blyth's Starling
- Sturnia blythii
Identification
22cm. A small Starling with elongate and hackled feathers on cronw, nape, side of face and throat.
- White head (contrasting to cinnamon-brown breast)
- Silver-grey head with streaked appearance
- Grey upperparts
- Orange-brown rump
- Grey wings with black primary coverts and brown secondaries
- Grey tail, tipped chestnut
- Rich cinnamon-brown brest and belly
- Greyish-white eye
- Bill blue at base, green in middle and yellow at tip
Females have a greyer head and no contrast to the much paler underside. Juveniles are grey-brown.
Distribution
Endemic to southwest India (Western Ghats).
Fairly common.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
It was formerly considered conspecific with Chestnut-tailed Starling and placed in genus Sturnus.
Habitat
Open woodland, cultivation with scattered trees, often in young forest plantations and also close to human settlements. Found from the lowland to the foothills, up to 2000m in India.
Behaviour
Usually seen in pairs or small flocks, also in bigger flocks.
They fly in tight flocks and often rapidly change directions with great synchrony.
Diet
Omnivorous. Feeds on insects, fruit, seeds and nectar.
Breeding
Breeding season from February to May. A monogamous species. The nest is placed in a tree hole (often an old hole of a Woodpecker or a Barbet. Lays 3 - 5 eggs.
Movements
Probably a resident species.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Malabar Starling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Malabar_Starling
External Links
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