Singing Starling
Aplonis cantoroides
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilySturnidae (Starlings)
- GenusAplonis (Pacific Starlings)
- SpeciesAplonis cantoroides (Singing Starling)
About the Singing Starling
The singing starling (Aplonis cantoroides) is a medium-sized (20 cm in length) starling. Adult singing starlings have glossy black plumage and bright red irises. Immature birds are paler, with streaked underparts and brown irises. They are distinguished from metallic starlings by shorter, square tails and thicker bills.
Singing starlings are found in New Guinea and some adjacent islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, Admiralty Islands and Solomon Islands. They have been recorded from Boigu and Saibai Islands, Queensland, Australian territory in north-western Torres Strait. They inhabit forest edges, gardens and cultivated areas with trees, urban areas and coconut groves.
They eat figs and other soft fruits, and sometimes insects. They nest in tree-hollows, cliffs and buildings, often colonially, laying 2-3 pale blue eggs. The call is a repeated, high-pitched, down-slurred whistle. As a species with a large range and no evidence of population decline, it is assessed as being of Least Concern.
Beehler, Bruce M.; & Finch, Brian W. (1985). Species Checklist... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Metallic Starling
Aplonis metallica
Moluccan Starling
Aplonis mysolensis
Yellow-faced Myna
Mino dumontii
Golden Myna
Mino anais
Willie Wagtail
Rhipidura leucophrys
Helmeted Friarbird
Philemon buceroides
Pacific Swallow
Hirundo javanica
Torresian Crow
Corvus orru
Glossy-mantled Manucode
Manucodia ater
Red Bird-of-Paradise
Paradisaea rubra
Shining Flycatcher
Myiagra alecto
Hooded Butcherbird
Cracticus cassicus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Singing Starling in Raja Ampat?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Singing Starling sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 418 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Singing Starling in Raja Ampat?
August has the highest sighting rate for Singing Starling in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.