Tag Archives: Sturnidae

Aplonis diluvialis Steadman

Huahine Starling (Aplonis diluvialis)

The Huahine Starling was described in 1989, it is known only from subfossil remains, which were excavated from archaeological deposits on the island of Huahine in the Society Islands. [1]

The species was quite large, it might have reached a size of up to 29 cm.

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References:

[1] David W. Steadman: A new species of starling (Sturnidae, Aplonis) from an archaeological site on Huahine, Society Islands. Notornis 36: 161–169. 1989

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edited: 30.04.2021

Aplonis fusca (Gould)

Norfolk Starling (Aplonis fusca)

The Norfolk Starling, aka. Tasman Starling, was restricted to Norfolk Island.

The species reached a size of 20 cm; it was greyish brown colored, with the males having some metallic glossy green feathers on the head.

The Norfolk Starling disappeared due to a combination of several factors, including competition from introduced European Starlings and thrushes, overhunting and destruction of their habitats through agricultural clearings.

The species was apparently last seen in 1923.

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Depiction from: ‘Gregory M. Mathews: The birds of Norfolk & Lord Howe Islands and the Australasian South Polar quadrant: with additions to “birds of Australia”. London: H. F. & G. Witherby 1928’

(public domain)

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edited: 30.04.2021

Aplonis pelzelni Finsch

Pohnpei Starling (Aplonis pelzelni)

The Pohnpei Starling was restricted to the mountainous areas in the interior of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.

The species reaches a length of 19 cm, it is mainly inconspicuously dark greyish brown colored.

The Pohnpei Starling was last recorded in 1956 and was finally declared extinct in 1990, however, five years later a single female specimen was obtained by a native hunter and thus the species was deemed as having been rediscovered, the species was apparently subsequently found again in 2008, but since then there has not been any trace of it and it is now thought to be extinct. 

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Photo: Huub Veldhuijzen van Zanten; Naturalis Biodiversity Center  

(under creative commons license (3.0)) 
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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edited: 30.04.2021

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

Aplonis sp. ‘Erromango’

Erromango Starling (Aplonis sp.)

The Erromango Starling is known from subfossil remains found on the island of Erromango, Vanuatu, which apparently cannot be assigned to one of the starling species that inhabit Vanuatu today, the Mountain Starling (Aplonis santovestris Harrison & Marshall), and the Rusty-winged starling (Aplonis zelandica (Quoy & Gaimard)).

This form apparently disappeared sometime after the arrival of humans onto the island. [1]

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References:

[1] David W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006

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edited: 30.04.2021

Aplonis corvina (Kittlitz)

Kosrae Starling (Aplonis corvina)  

The 20 to 25 cm long Kosrae Starling occurred only in the mountain forests of the island of Kosrae, the species is known from only five specimens, that were shot in the years 1827 and 1828.  

Friedrich Heinrich von Kittlitz writes in 1832 in his work ‘Kupfertafeln zur Naturgeschichte der Vögel’ about this bird.:  

“Fig.3 is a new species, which I found on the island of Ualan, and have named Lamprothornis corvina. Description and life-sized portraiture ought to have appeared in the newest memoirs of the Academy of Petersburg. It obviously connects itself to Fig 2 [Aplonis opaca], but also differs very essential from this by its far more animalic diet; large insects, as cicadas and suchlike, and small lizards, making up the main objects of the very same and only secondarily exchange with fruits, and yet the stomach is smaller and much more muscular as in that species. This is a very lonely bird, which inhabits the deepest mountainous woodlands and flees the vicinity of humans; the still unmoulted young are yellowish white and mottled blackish brown, in the olds both sexes black. ”  

The species died out short time after, even field searches at the end of the 19th century were unsuccessful.  

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References:  

[1] Dieter Luther: Die ausgestorbenen Vögel der Welt. Westarp Wissenschaften 1986 [2] Errol Fuller: Extinct Birds. Penguin Books (England) 1987  

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Depiction from: ‘F. H. von Kittlitz: Über einige noch unbeschriebene Vögel von der Insel Luzon, den Carolinen und den Marianen. Mémoires présentés à l’Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Petersbourg par divers Savants et lus dans ses Assemblées 2: 1-10. 1835’  

(public domain)

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edited: 17.10.2020

Aplonis ulietensis (Gmelin)

Ulieta Starling (Aplonis ulietensis)  

The Ulieta Starling, better known as Bay Thrush or Ulieta Thrush, is still one of the biggest mysteries of the ornithological world.  

The species is known only on the basis of a drawing which was produced by Georg Forster in 1774 (?), as well as from the appertaining description.  

The bird was originally – under reserve – described as thrush (Turdidae), but was subsequently associated with the Honeyeater family (Meliphagidae).  

Actually, it may have been a starling, because very similar starling species are well known to occur / have occurred on other, adjacent islands within Central Polynesia (only a single species, the Rarotonga Starling (Aplonis cinerascens Hartlaub & Finsch), is extant), while the other two bird families are not known from that geographical region, neither from historical specimens nor by subfossil remains.  

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The Ulieta Starling died out sometimes during the 18th century – or – did it survive until the 19th century?  

“Some of the land birds which inhabit the more interior and elevated woods have a varied and gaudy plumage; while others, with a more sombre garment, possess a melodious voice, not unlike that of our thrush or blackbird; but neither kind is sufficiently numerous to repay the exertions of the sportsman or ornithologist.” [1]

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References:  

[1] Frederick Debell Bennett: Narrative of a Whaling Voyage round the globe, from the year 1833 to 1836. Comprising Sketches of Polynesia, California, the Indian Archipelago, etc. with an account of southern whales, the sperm whale fishery, and the natural history of the climates visited. London, Richard Bentley 1840 
[2] Dieter Luther: Die ausgestorbenen Vögel der Welt. Westarp Wissenschaften 1986 
[3] Errol Fuller: Extinct Birds. Penguin Books (England) 1987  

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Depiction: Georg Forster, 1774

(public domain)

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edited: 18.10.2020

Necropsar rodericanus Günther & Newton

Rodrigues Starling (Necropsar rodericanus)

The Rodrigues Starling was endemic to the island of Rodrigues, Mascarene Islands, it was described in 1879 based on subfossil material.

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A French sailor named Julien Tafforet, who was stranded on the island of Rodrigues from 1725 to 1726, reported an interesting sighting.:

“On trouve un petit oiseau qui n’est pas fort commun, car il ne se trouve pas sur la grande terre; on en vout sur l’île au Mât, qui est au sud de la grande terre, et je crois qu’il se tient sur cette île à cause des oiseaux de proie qui sont à la grande terre, comme aussi pur vivre avec plus de facilité de oefs ou quelques tortues mortes de faim qu’ils savent assez bien déchirer. Ces ouiseaux sont un peu plus gros qu’un merle et ont le plumage blanc, une partie des aîles et de la queue noire, le bec jaune aussi bein que les pattes, et ont un ramage merveillex; je dis un ramage quoiqu’ils en aient plusieurs, et tous différents, et chacun de plus jolis. Nous en avons nourri quelques uns avec de la viande cuite hachée bien menu, qu’ils mangeaient préférablement aux graines de bois.“

translation:

“There is a small bird that is not very common, because it is not on the mainland; you can see it on islet au Mât [Île Gombrani], which is south of the mainland, and I think it stands on this island because of the birds of prey that are on the mainland, as well as pure living and the ease of eggs [of seabirds, that they obviously fed upon], or some turtles dead from hunger, which they know well enough to tear [out of their shells]. These birds are a little larger than a blackbird [Réunion Bulbul (Hypsipetes borbonicus J. R. Forster)], and have white plumage, a part of the elbows and tail black, the bill is as yellow as the legs, and has a marvelous warbling; I say a warbling even though they have several notes, and all different, and each one more beautiful. We fed some with well-chopped cooked meat, which they ate preferably with wood seeds.” 

This contemporary account lead Masauji Hachisuka in 1937 to describe a corvid (?) species (Testudophaga bicolor). It is now, however, thought that this account refers to a species of starling, very likely the Rodrigues Starling.

The species had obviously already disappeared from the island of Rodrigues in the middle of the 18th century and was restricted to offshore islets as its last bastion. 

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References:

[1] The Marquess Hachisuka: Extinct Cough from Rodriguez. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 50: 211-214. 1937

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edited: 24.04.2019