Short-tailed Starling Aplonis minor Scientific name definitions

18 cm; 39–45 g. Small starling with short tail. Plumage mostly blackish, head and neck iridescent bronzy purple, with brighter purple on nape, side of neck, throat and breast; body iridescent oily green; wing black, some green gloss on secondaries, tail black, with green gloss on outer rectrices; iris vermilion; bill and legs black. Sexes alike. Juvenile dark brown above, some green gloss on crown and back, brown below, paler on throat and belly, with paler margins of feathers producing streaked look.

S Philippines (Mindanao), C & S Sulawesi (and islands of S coasts), islands in Flores Sea (Tanahjampea, Kayuadi, Kalao, Kalaotoa), Java, Bali and Lesser Sundas (E to Romang and Moa).

Forest and forest edge; rarely in cultivated areas and villages in most of range, but in Java and Bali apparently favours cultivated areas close to forest. Generally in lowlands, below 1500 m; on Mindanao found in mountain forest above 900 m.

Mostly resident. On some islands apparently present only seasonally, and may be nomadic or migratory; according to some authors, a non-breeding migrant in Java and Bali.

Fruit and berries, also insects; coffee (Coffea) berries reported as eaten. Forages both in forest canopy and at edge. Gregarious; forages in small flocks, forms communal roosts.

Plaintive "seep" as contact call; clear metallic shriek, "teek teek", in flight; short chattering notes and slurred, metallic "chilanc".

Few data. Birds with enlarged gonads in Apr on Mindanao. Said to nest in tree holes in small colonies; other accounts imply that this species nests solitarily and excavates own hole in dead tree. Eggs reportedly blue-green with fine brown speckling.

Not globally threatened. Widely distributed and locally common. Uncommon to locally moderately common in Wallacea.