Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This uncommon and poorly-known species is categorised as Vulnerable as available evidence suggests that it has a small population which is declining at a moderate rate because of forest loss and degradation.
Population justification
The population is estimated to number 1,000-2,500 mature individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size (G. Dutson in litt. 2016). Given the species's rarity, only a small proportion of the estimated Extent of Occurrence is likely to be occupied. The largest sub-population, on Guadalcanal, is provisionally estimated to be 250-1000 mature individuals (G. Dutson in litt. 2016).
Trend justification
This naturally scarce species is suspected to be undergoing a slow to moderate decline, owing to ongoing forest degradation, and possible harvesting of nest colonies for food, as was recorded historically.
Aplonis brunneicapillus is endemic to Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, and Choiseul, Rendova and Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. It is rare and patchily distributed and may yet be discovered on other islands. On Bougainville, single specimens were taken in 1938 (Danis 1938) and 1944 (Beecher 1945), and a colony of at least 10 pairs was found in 1985 (Finch 1986, Kaestner 1987), but it could not be found in 1987 (K. D. Bishop in litt. 1999). On Choiseul, it was recorded in 1994 at one site (Gibbs 1996). On Rendova, one specimen was taken in 1943 (Amadon 1943) and there are recent records of two birds in the 1980s and some in the 1990s (Blaber 1990, D. Gibbs verbally 1996, M. Iles verbally 1997, N. P. Dreyer in litt. 1999). On Guadalcanal, 41 specimens were collected in 1953 at Betilonga (Beecher 1945, Cain and Galbraith 1956), and although not seen subsequently at this exact site (D. Gibbs verbally 1996, G. Dutson pers. obs. 1997), a nesting colony of 10-15 individuals was located nearby in 2013 (Marki et al. 2014). There have been a few recent records at Mt Austen (Buckingham et al. 1995, M. Iles verbally 1997, G. Dutson in litt. 2012), Komarindi (van Oosten and Wyant 1999) Gorovike, Torokina district (T. Mark per G. Dutson in litt. 2016).
It has been recorded breeding colonially in both lowland swamp and hill forest. It is not known whether it usually nests in isolated trees or whether colonies were originally in closed forest (Coates 1990). Foraging birds have been recorded in forest, forest edge and secondary growth, feeding on fruit, sometimes in flocks (Beecher 1945, Finch 1986, Gibbs 1996, Marki et al. 2014).
Villagers at the Guadalcanal colony in 1953 reported that they felled nesting-trees to eat the fledglings (Cain and Galbraith 1956). This tradition may well continue as wild sources of meat are highly prized in most Melanesian villages. Most lowland forest and much hill forest throughout the species's range has been or is scheduled for logging (Buckingham et al. 1995), and logging continues across the Solomon Islands (Boseto and Pikacha 2015; G. Dutson in litt. 2016) but is less prevalent on Bougainville. Another potential threat is that of competition with the more common Metallic Starling A. metallica, which could be brought about by habitat loss and alteration (Marki et al. 2014).
Conservation Actions Underway
Mt. Austen is within the Queen Elizabeth National Park but this area receives no protection and is highly degraded.
21 cm + 11 cm tail-streamers. Long-tailed, white-eyed, colonial glossy starling. Adult has long tail-streamers which are often broken or lost. Juvenile is dull with streaked buffy underparts and lacks streamers, white iris and heavy bill of adults. Similar spp. Metallic Starling A. metallica and Singing Starling A. cantoroides have red eye, shorter tails and finer bills. Juveniles are similar and best distinguished by critical structural comparison with accompanying adults. Voice Wide range of starling chatters and whistles. Hints Check through starling flocks in forest edge.
Text account compilers
O'Brien, A., Dutson, G., Mahood, S., Derhé, M., Benstead, P., Stattersfield, A.
Contributors
Gibbs, D., Mark, T., Dutson, G., Bishop, K.D., Dreyer, N., Iles, M.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Species factsheet: White-eyed Starling Aplonis brunneicapillus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/white-eyed-starling-aplonis-brunneicapillus on 14/01/2025.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2025) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 14/01/2025.