White-faced Starling
Sturnornis albofrontatus
The White-faced Starling (Sturnornis albofrontatus) is a rare rhabdornis, starlings, and myna found only in Sri Lanka, weighing about 40 g. The white-faced starling is a member of the starling family of birds.
About the White-faced Starling
The white-faced starling is a member of the starling family of birds. It is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The adults of these 22 cm-long birds have green-glossed dark grey upperparts and whitish underparts. The head is paler than the underparts. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller, with brown upperparts and greyer underparts. This passerine is typically found in tall forest, usually high in the canopy. The white-faced starling builds its nest in a hole. The normal clutch is two eggs. Like most starlings, the white-faced starling is fairly omnivorous, eating fruit, nectar and insects.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, September, November, December, with peak activity in January. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a White-faced Starling?
- The adults of these 22 cm-long birds have green-glossed dark grey upperparts and whitish underparts. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a White-faced Starling?
- The White-faced Starling is a small sized bird weighing about 40 g.
- Where can you see a White-faced Starling?
- The White-faced Starling is endemic to Sri Lanka, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a White-faced Starling?
- The White-faced Starling is most easily confused with the Moluccan Starling, the Copper-tailed Starling and the Long-tailed Myna.
- Is the White-faced Starling endangered?
- The White-faced Starling is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the White-faced Starling for real
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