Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Short-tailed Starling
Aplonis minor
Short-tailed Starling (Aplonis minor) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Short-tailed Starling (Aplonis minor) is a member of the Sturnidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 42 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Sturnidae Starlings, Rhabdornises
- Genus Aplonis
- Species minor
Quick facts
- Weight
- 42 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Short-tailed Starling is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Short-tailed Starling is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Short-tailed Starling (Aplonis minor) is a member of the Sturnidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Sulawesi, Lesser Sundas and Mindanao (s Philippines).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 42 g, with a wing length of about 9.6 cm and a tail of around 6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 326,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Short-tailed Starling?
The Short-tailed Starling is a small bird that weighs around 42 g.
Where does the Short-tailed Starling live?
The Short-tailed Starling is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Sulawesi, Lesser Sundas and Mindanao (s Philippines), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Short-tailed Starling belong to?
The Short-tailed Starling (Aplonis minor) belongs to the Sturnidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Short-tailed Starling eat?
The Short-tailed Starling is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Short-tailed Starling migrate?
The Short-tailed Starling is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Short-tailed Starling endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Short-tailed Starling make?
1 real field recording of the Short-tailed Starling — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Short-tailed Starling's range?
The Short-tailed Starling has a mapped global range of about 326,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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