Starlings are small beautiful birds with gorgeous plumage, and they are one of the most common garden birds. They are very common in trees and villages but not so much in the city. Here, we have 3 starling species in Cambodia and not many of us know about them. Shall we find out more about all the 3 species below?
Asian Pied Starling (គ្រលីងគ្រលោងត្រចៀកស)
The Asian pied starling also goes by the name (Indian) pied myna, and it is a small starling species. This bird has a black and white coloration with a yellowish bill while the bare skin around the eye is reddish. The breast, throat, and upper body of the bird are black, and the cheeks, lores, wing coverts, and rump are white. Both males and females in this species look alike.
Asian pied starlings are found in South Asia and Southeast Asia, living in plains, especially in areas with access to open water. They inhabit lowland open areas with scattered trees near water that are often near human habitation. As social birds, they forage in small groups on the ground before perching on buildings and trees. Normally, they forage in fields, lawns, and open ground to feed on earthworms, fruits, grains, insects, mollusks, and spiders.
This starling species is very common as cage birds because of their ability to mimic human speech and tunes. At the same time, these birds are also very beneficial in general because they feed on insects and pests.
Black-Collared Starling (គ្រលីងគ្រលោង/កញ្ជ្រៀចវ័ណ្ឌកខ្មៅ)
Just like the name suggests, this starling species has a black collar around its neck. Black-collared starlings are small birds that grow 26 to 30 centimeters. It has a white head, dark brown mantle, back, and wings along with white underparts. Along with that, it has a yellow patch of white skin around its eyes, a black beak, and pale gray legs. This bird also has the ability to mimic humans but not as good as the mynas.
The distribution of the black-collared starlings is across China and Southeast Asia where habitats are favorable for them. They usually live in cultivated areas, dry forests, fields, grasslands, and human settlements where they can forage on the ground. Since they feed on not only seeds but also earthworms and insects, livestock is also a place to look for food.
This starling species is one of the birds that Asian koels trick to look after its eggs and chicks. The koel will push the black-collared starling’s eggs away and lay its eggs in the nest instead. Thinking that the chicks in the nests are hers, mother black-collared starling takes care of the eggs until they fledge.
Vinous-Breasted Starling (កញ្ជ្រៀច)
A vinous-breasted starling is a medium-large starling species with a dark gray back and wings, whiteish hood, wine-stained breast, and pale rump. It has a yellow-orange bill and legs, and its distinctive feature is the bandit mask of blare blackish skin around its eyes. As for this starling species, it is only found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Across those countries, they live in cultivated areas, gardens, large clearings in forests, open grasslands, semi-deserts, and scrublands. Vinous-breasted starlings forage in pairs or small flocks mainly on the ground, feeding on fruits and insects. As very vocal birds, they form large and noisy communal roosts in bamboo, reeds, or sugarcane.
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