Wednesday 6 November 2013

Metallic Starling

This is Wednesday again and time to tell you about an Australian bird.
 
The Metallic Starling Aplonis metallica also known as Shining Starling, is a bird in the starling family.  It is native of New Guinea and nearby Australasian islands and a limited area of north eastern Australia.  All these photos and video were taken around the Innisfail area, Queensland.
 
 
The introduced (feral) Common Starling has given starlings a bad name  in many parts of the world including Australia, South Africa and North America.  However,here is an exotic tropical one to infuse a bit of balance.  
 

They are 22–24 cm, with strikingly iridescent green and violet plumage, a piercing red eye, a long pointed tail and dashing flight, there’s nothing merely feral about this starling.

 
 
 
 
Like the Common Starling, however, they are highly social both in and out of the breeding season. They build large globular nests suspended in dense colonies in large rain forest trees.
 

In Australia, the Metallic Starling has a limited range along the north east coast of Queensland from the tip of Cape York to Mackay, but common only north of Ingham.  In Australia it is mainly a summer migrant from islands north of Australia, arriving in August/September and most have left by April, though some overwinter.

 
Their habitat is tropical rain forest, nearby woodland, mangroves, coastal scrub, gardens. Best known for the large and conspicuous treetop nest colonies, from which the flocks forage out across surrounding rain forest, seeking fruits and nectar.
 
 
 
 
 Tight flocks hurtle low above the canopy, attracting attention with their noisy passage – various nasal and wheezing calls. From individuals, ‘scriaarch, scraark, scraich-scraich-scraaairch, chrak-chrak-chrak’ and similar sounds; from the flock a jumbled racket of intermixed squawking and wheezing which you will hear on the video.
 
 
 
 
Many fledged juveniles are often present in these colonies and these are strikingly different in appearance from the adults with their white underparts with bold streaks, and could easily be mistaken for a different species.
 
 
 
 
 
 You can access the video at
 
 
If there is a black space below, click it and the video will appear.
 
 
 
 
I hope you enjoyed this Metallic Starling I featured on today's post.
 
Thank you for visiting and thanks for all your comments.  I appreciate them all.

44 comments:

  1. hadn't heard of this starling before Margaret so very interesting to learn about. Great photos and very interesting nests

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  2. That Starling is beautiful with the iridescent feathers and bright eye. I haven't seen one - I don't think they come down as far south as I live.

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  3. Oh my goodness!!!! I have never seen a bird like this in my whole life! With those big red eyes and their feathers like a cape around their neck, they resemble Dracula. The nests are really great, and the way they all make them into a colony or neighborhood. We just have the normal European Starlings here, they come in huge flocks and are quite iridescent in the light. I do believe this is my favorite post of yours so far, a really stupendous bird that I have never seen or heard of.

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  4. I always enjoy our starlings. These are spectacular. I wonder if they can eat fatballs as fast as ours can.

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    1. Hi Adrian I am surethey would but people in Australia generally don't feed the birds like we do. Glad you liked the post and thanks for comments.

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  5. Such incredible irridescence, and those dramatic red eyes. Perhaps Alfred Hitchcock had these birds in mind when he made THAT movie.

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    1. HI EC You could be right.Forme, Birds was the scariest movie ever!! These birds in reality are not that scary. Glad you liked the post and thanks for comments.

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  6. what an interesting bird! they are gorgeous even though those eyes make them look a bit demonic, poor things

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    1. HI Lynn Glad you liked this bird and thanks for comments.

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  7. Great shots of the beautiful bird.

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    1. HI Rajesh Glad you liked the post and thanks for comments.

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  8. Brilliant Metallic Starling, they are out of this world. Cheers Margaret.

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    1. HI Bob Glad you liked this bird and thanks for comments.

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  9. A very interesting post with some great photos. Those red eyes are just amazing :)

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    1. HI RR Glad you liked the eyes of the Starling adn the information and thanks for comments.

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  10. Lovely birds Margaret, and almost as noisy as ours?...[;o)

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    1. HI Trevor They are as noisey as our birds. Glad you enjoyed this post and thanks for comment.

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  11. What an amazing, informative, post!!! And those starlings and their strands of long feathers around the head and cascading down their backs is absolutely gorgeous.

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    1. HI Anni Glad you enjoyed both ths bird and the information. Thaanks for your comment.

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  12. Hi Margaret, I would never have guessed that they built nests like this. Very similar to the Weaver family. Love the shaggy appearance around the neck and throat.

    Thanks for the education
    Dave

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    1. HI Dave Yes their nests are amazing. Glad you liked this post and thanks for comment.

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  13. These birds look spooky with this red eyes!

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    1. HILinda They really are lovely especially seen in the sun. Thanks for comment.

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  14. such cool feathering and that eye! wow! their nests are fascinating, too! and their juveniles are beautiful! very, very cool bird, margaret!

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    1. HI Tex I am very glad you enjoyed this post and thanks for comment.

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  15. Wow, those red eyes are so fierce. Love the feathering around the neck. Super images!

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    1. HI Gail Glad you enjoyed the images. Thanks for comment.

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  16. Beautiful pictures of starlings, Margaret.
    Pictures are perfectly sharp and what a beautiful colors they have, compliment.
    Greetings Irma

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    1. HI Irma I am so glad you enjoyed this post and thanks for comment.

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  17. Replies
    1. HI Mersad Well I am glad someone liked their eyes. Thanks for comment.

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  18. those eyes are a lil spooky!! loved seeing the nests, how very cool they are!!

    you asked me on my blog, about the blue jays. they can easily open the peanut shells and get their reward!! they often hide them away for a later date!!

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    1. HI Debbie Many thanks for answering my question. Yes most people thought the eyes were spooky but thanks for comment.

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  19. That is quite a difference from my NZ starling. Yours looks a bit angrier!!

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  20. Hi Margaret, The Starlings we have around here are not wanted by most of us birders (at least we don't want them at our feeders). They are aggressive and can be mean. Luckily we don't have starlings in our area except maybe once or twice a year for a day or so…. They are beautiful birds. Your Starlings are gorgeous and I love those RED eyes. Wow.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  21. Your first picture makes it plain how the Metallic Starling got it's name. There is a definite metallic-like sheen to the feathers of this bird. The nests are interesting as well.

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  22. Beautiful! It's got a very suitable name. Those feathers are very shining.

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  23. Wow, what a great looking bird! The red eyes are cool! Wonderful post and photos, Margaret!

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  24. Gorgeous Starlings.....Cool nests!!

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  25. I had surgery Monday and so running late... what stunning birds, their feathers and those eyes are amazing. The nests are awesome too!

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  26. They almost don't look real. Fascinating!

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  27. how interesting, but such a weird looking bird. Somehow it gives me a creepy feeling. But I love their nests.

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  28. H I All bloggers above who left comments, I thank you all. I have read and enjoyed them. I think many of you thought this bird spooky, I never did when I was in Australia.

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  29. Fascinating story and photos of these striking looking birds. Not one I have seen personally.

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