Aplonis

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. 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.

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
• Tasman Starling, Aplonis fusca (extinct c.1923)
  • Norfolk Starling, Aplonis fusca fusca (extinct c.1923)
  • Lord Howe Starling, Aplonis fusca hulliana (extinct c.1919)
• 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)
• Erromango Starling, Aplonis sp. undescr. (prehistoric)

References

• Feare, Chris; Craig, Adrian (1999). Starlings and Mynas. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-7136-3961-X.