From Opus

Female (left) and male (right)
Photo by DaninJapan
Tomigusuku, Okinawa, Japan, February 2007

Alternative name: Silky Starling

Sturnus sericeus

Poliopsar sericeus; Spodiopsar sericeus

[edit] Identification

22cm. A medium-sized starling.

• Mainly grey body
• Black tail and black wings with white primary coverts and bases
• Male with whitish head, clearly contrasting with body. Female with whitish throat and brownish tinge.
• Red bill with dark tip
• Orange legs

Juveniles have a orange-yellow bill.

Juvenile
Photo by Neil
Hong Kong, China, September 2009

[edit] Distribution

Found in southeast China, including Hong Kong and Hainan. Winter visitor in northern Vietnam.
Has been recorded as vagrant or rare visitor in South Korea, the Philippines and Japan.
Fairly common and probably increasing in its range.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.
It's sometimes placed in the genus Poliopsar.

[edit] Habitat

Open areas with trees, cultivated, gardens and scrub.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds on insects and fruit.
In large flocks outside breeding season.
The nest is placed in a tree hole, in a roof or a wall of a house.
Resident or partial migrant.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507

• List of references

[edit] External Links