Abbott's starling

Abbott's starling
Male
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Sturnidae
Genus:Poeoptera
Species: P. femoralis
Binomial name
Poeoptera femoralis
(Richmond, 1897)
Synonyms

Pholia femoralis
Cinnyricinclus femoralis

Abbott's starling (Poeoptera femoralis) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss, and its population is estimated at 2500-9999.[2] This species, at 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in) long, is the smallest species of starling.[3]

The name of the species commemorates William Louis Abbott (1860-1936), American naturalist and collector, who studied the wildlife of the Indo-Malayan region.

Diet

The Abbott's starling feeds on insects and fruit, including the fruit of Cornus volkensii.[4]

Description

The Abbott's starling has a black head and breast with white underparts and a yellow eye. Its voice is a musical whistled call moving up and down the scale.[5]

References

  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Cinnyricinclus femoralis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. "Abbott's Starling (Poeoptera femoralis) - BirdLife species factsheet". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  3. Starlings & Mynas (Helm Identification Guide) by Chris Feare. A&C Black (1998). ISBN 978-0713639612.
  4. "Abbott's Starling (Poeoptera femoralis)". www.hbw.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  5. "Poeoptera femoralis (Abbott's Starling)". www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved 2018-02-21.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.