Birds Guide

Aplonis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae   Genus: Aplonis Gould, 1836
Species
see text

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.

The following is the list of Aplonis species in taxonomic order.:

• Metallic Starling, Aplonis metallica
  Yellow-eyed Starling, Aplonis mystacea
  Singing Starling, Aplonis cantoroides
  Tanimbar Starling, Aplonis crassa
  Atoll Starling, Aplonis feadensis
  Rennell Starling, Aplonis insularis
  Long-tailed Starling, Aplonis magna
  White-eyed Starling, Aplonis brunneicapillus
  Brown-winged Starling, Aplonis grandis
  San Cristobal Starling, Aplonis dichroa
  Rusty-winged Starling, Aplonis zelandica
  Striated Starling, Aplonis striata
  Norfolk Starling, Aplonis fusca (extinct, c.1923)
  Mountain Starling, Aplonis santovestris
  Asian Glossy Starling, Aplonis panayensis
  Moluccan Starling, Aplonis mysolensis
  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
  Huahine Starling, Aplonis diluvialis (prehistoric)
  Bay Starling, Aplonis ulietensis (extinct, 1774 to 1850; formerly considered a thrush)

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.

References

• Freare and Craig, Starlings and Mynas ISBN 0-7136-3961-X.