Aplonis
Starlings
Aplonis is a genus of starlings. These are essentially island species of Indonesia, Oceania and Australasia, although some species’ ranges extend to the Malay Peninsula, southern Vietnam and northeastern Queensland. Several species have restricted ranges, and, like other island endemics, have become endangered or extinct as a result of habitat loss or introduced mammals such as rats.
Description
The typical adult Aplonis starling is fairly uniformly plumaged in black, brown or dark green, sometimes with a metallic gloss. The eye ring is often distinctively coloured. Immatures of several species have dark streaked pale underparts.
The following is the list of Aplonis species in taxonomic order:
- Metallic Starling, Aplonis metallica
- Yellow-eyed Starling, Aplonis mystacea: Found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
- Singing Starling, Aplonis cantoroides
- Tanimbar Starling, Aplonis crassa
- Atoll Starling, Aplonis feadensis: Found in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands
- Rennell Starling, Aplonis insularis
- Long-tailed Starling, Aplonis magna
- White-eyed Starling, Aplonis brunneicapillus: Found in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
- Brown-winged Starling, Aplonis grandis
- San Cristobal Starling, Aplonis dichroa: Endemic to Solomon Islands.
- Rusty-winged Starling, Aplonis zelandica: Found in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
- Striated Starling, Aplonis striata
- Tasman Starling, Aplonis fusca (extinct c.1923)
- Norfolk Starling, Aplonis fusca fusca (extinct c.1923)
- Lord Howe Starling, Aplonis fusca hulliana (extinct c.1919)
- Mountain Starling, Aplonis santovestris: Endemic to the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. It is restricted to cloud forest forest on that island] The species was feared extinct, although a 1991 expedition managed to find a population high in the mountains.
- Asian Glossy Starling, Aplonis panayensis
- Moluccan Starling, Aplonis mysolensis: Endemic to Indonesia
- Short-tailed Starling, Aplonis minor
- Micronesian Starling, Aplonis opaca
- Pohnpei Starling, Aplonis pelzelni (possibly extinct, c.2000)
- Polynesian Starling, Aplonis tabuensis
- Samoan Starling, Aplonis atrifusca
- Kosrae Island Starling, Aplonis corvina (extinct, mid-19th century)
- Mysterious Starling, Aplonis mavornata (extinct, mid-19th century)
- Rarotonga Starling, Aplonis cinerascens: It is endemic to the Cook Islands.
- Huahine Starling, Aplonis diluvialis (prehistoric)
- Bay Starling, Aplonis ulietensis (extinct, 1774 to 1850; formerly considered a thrush)
- Erromango Starling, Aplonis sp. undescr. (prehistoric)
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