- Aplonis brunneicapillus
Identification
23cm. A medium-sized Starling with a long tail.
- Black plumage with bronze gloss on crown, purple bronze lores and iridescent emerald-green chin, throat, mantle, rump, breast and belly
- Small frontal crest
- Elongated crown and throat feathers
- Glossy black tail with long tail-streamers which are often broken or lost
- White eye
- Black bill and legs, bill with strongly curved upper mandible
Females are less iridescent and have shorter tail-streamers. Juveniles have no tail-streamers, are glossed green on upperparts and have blackish-brown underparts.
Similar species
May look superficially similar to Metallic Starling but note eye and tail.
Distribution
Found on Bougainville (Papua New Guinea), Choiseul, Rendova and Guadalcanal in Solomon Islands.
A rare and poorly known restricted-range species. Last record on Bougainville 1985, some recent records on Guadalcanal. Deforestation seems to be the major threat.
Taxonomy
A monotypic species.
Habitat
Lowland forest, hill forest, forest edge, swamp forest, sometimes in gardens. Occurs up to 800m.
Behaviour
Usually seen in small flocks in the canopy.
Diet
Feeds mainly on fruit.
Breeding
Breeding recorded in January on Bougainville and from July to August on Guadalcanal. Presumably a monogamous species, breeding in colonies of 10 - 40 nests.
Movements
Presumably 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) White-eyed Starling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-eyed_Starling
