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Aplonis mavornata Buller

Mauke Starling (Aplonis mavornata)

This species was for a long time known as the “Mysterious Starling”, since the origin of the only existing specimen was not known.

The mystery was solved in 1986, when Storrs l. Olson found out that the bird was originally caught on the island of Ma’uke in the Cook Islands in 1825. [1]

The Mauke Starling reached a size of 19 cm; it was dusky black colored with lighter brown edges on the body feathers, the iris was yellow, the beak and the feet were dusky brownish.

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References:

[1] Storrs L. Olson: An early account of some birds from Mauke, Cook Islands, and the origin of the “mysterious starling” Aplonis mavornata Buller. Notornis 33(4): 197-208. 1986

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edited: 30.04.2021