Family Starlings (Sturnidae)
Least Concern
Makira Starling (Aplonis dichroa)
Taxonomy
French: Stourne de San Cristobal German: San-Cristóbal-Star Spanish: Estornino de San Cristóbal
Taxonomy:
Calornis dichroa
Tristram
, 1895,San Cristobal, Solomon Islands
.Distribution:
Makira (San Cristobal), in SE Solomon Is.
Descriptive notes
20 cm; 73–92 g. Rather small starling with bristly forehead feathers and lanceolate feathers on crown, throat and upper breast. Plumage mostly blackish, with crown,... read more
Voice
Song soft and varied, repeated series of upslurred and downslurred notes. Highly vocal, calls... read more
Habitat
Forest, especially secondary forest, at all altitudes, but least common on coast; occasionally in... read more
Food and feeding
Fruit, mostly tiny fruits 1–2 mm in diameter; also seeds. Forages in outer twigs, primarily in canopy; hangs by feet in order to... read more
Breeding
Monogamous. Builds solitary, compact spherical nest of sticks in dense forest subcanopy. Eggs reportedly whitish, sparingly marked with... read more
Movements
Resident.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Restricted range species: present in Solomon Group EBA. Fairly common to locally common. Potentially vulnerable, as restricted to single island.
In the past regarded as conspecific with A. grandis (which see). Monotypic.