Rhabdornis, Starlings, and Mynas
Mountain Starling
Aplonis santovestris
ENEndangered Endemic to Vanuatu
- Family
- Rhabdornis, Starlings, and Mynas (Sturnidae)
- Order
- Passeriformes
Overview
The mountain starling (Aplonis santovestris), also known as Vanuatu starling, Santo mountain starling or Santo starling, is a bird species in the family Sturnidae. It is endemic to the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. It is restricted to the cloud forest on that island. The species was rarely seen in the 20th century and was at one point feared to be extinct, although a 1991 expedition managed to find a population high in the mountains.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Espiritu Santo (northern Vanuatu).
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Mountain starling
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
