White-faced Starling
Encyclopedia
The White-faced Starling, Sturnus albofrontatus, is a member of the starling
family of bird
s. It is an endemic
resident breeder in Sri Lanka
. It was for a long time erroneously known as S. senex; this was eventually identified as a junior synonym of the Red-billed Starling
(Mees 1997).
The adults of these 22 cm-long birds have green-glossed dark grey upperparts and whitish underparts. The head is paler than the underparts. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller, with brown upperparts and greyer underparts.
As the genus
Sturnus
is highly paraphyletic, it is not certain whether the present species will be retained therein. Though it has not been included in recent studies (Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006, Zuccon et al. 2006), its appearance suggests it is not close to the European Starling
, the type species
of Sturnus. It is also generally not included among those species which are often (and probably correctly) placed in Acridotheres
.
This passerine
is typically found in tall forest, usually high in the canopy. The White-faced Starling builds its nest in a hole. The normal clutch is two eggs.
Like most starlings, the White-faced Starling is fairly omnivorous, eating fruit, nectar and insects.
Starling
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent...
family of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. It is an endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
resident breeder in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It was for a long time erroneously known as S. senex; this was eventually identified as a junior synonym of the Red-billed Starling
Red-billed Starling
The Red-billed Starling is a species of starling in the Sturnidae family.It is found in China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.-References:...
(Mees 1997).
The adults of these 22 cm-long birds have green-glossed dark grey upperparts and whitish underparts. The head is paler than the underparts. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller, with brown upperparts and greyer underparts.
As the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Sturnus
Sturnus
Sturnus is a genus of starlings. As discussed below, the taxonomy of this group is complex, and other authorities differ considerably in which species they place in this genus, and in the species boundaries within Sturnus....
is highly paraphyletic, it is not certain whether the present species will be retained therein. Though it has not been included in recent studies (Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006, Zuccon et al. 2006), its appearance suggests it is not close to the European Starling
European Starling
The Common Starling , also known as the European Starling or just Starling, is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae.This species of starling is native to most of temperate Europe and western Asia...
, the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of Sturnus. It is also generally not included among those species which are often (and probably correctly) placed in Acridotheres
Acridotheres
Acridotheres is a genus of starlings, the "typical" mynas, which are tropical members of the family Sturnidae. This genus has representatives in tropical southern Asia from Iran east to southern China and Indonesia. Two species have been introduced widely elsewhere...
.
This passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
is typically found in tall forest, usually high in the canopy. The White-faced Starling builds its nest in a hole. The normal clutch is two eggs.
Like most starlings, the White-faced Starling is fairly omnivorous, eating fruit, nectar and insects.