Singing Starling
Aplonis cantoroides
The Singing Starling (Aplonis cantoroides) is a rare rhabdornis, starlings, and myna found in 4 countries, weighing about 56 g. The singing starling is a medium-sized starling.
About the Singing Starling
The singing starling is a medium-sized starling.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Adult singing starlings have glossy black plumage and bright red irises. Immature birds are paler, with streaked underparts and brown irises. They are distinguished from metallic starlings by shorter, square tails and thicker bills. Voice: The call is a repeated, high-pitched, down-slurred whistle.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Australia.
When to see it
Best months: January, March, April, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in July. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Singing Starling?
- Adult singing starlings have glossy black plumage and bright red irises. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Singing Starling?
- The Singing Starling is a small sized bird weighing about 56 g.
- Where can you see a Singing Starling?
- The Singing Starling occurs in 4 countries, including Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Solomon Islands.
- What birds look similar to a Singing Starling?
- The Singing Starling is most easily confused with the Short-tailed Starling, the Polynesian Starling and the Moluccan Starling.
- Is the Singing Starling endangered?
- The Singing Starling is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Singing Starling for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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