Starlings (Sturnidae)

Shining Starling (Aplonis metallica) - HBW 14, p. 717

French: Stourne luisant German: Weberstar Spanish: Estornino Lustroso
Other common names: Metallic/Colonial Starling

Taxonomy: Lamprotornis metallica Temminck, 1824, "Timor and Celebes" = Ambon.
Genus name sometimes given as Aplornis (see page 659). Was previously thought to form a superspecies with A. magna. Five subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

metallica ( Temminck, 1824) - Moluccas (including Sula Is), New Guinea and most satellite islands, Aru Is, and NE Australia (NE Queensland).
inornata ( Salvadori, 1881) - Numfor and Biak, in N Geelvink Bay (NW New Guinea).
circumscripta ( A. B. Meyer, 1884) - E Lesser Sundas (Damar and Tanimbar Is).

See all 5 subspecies

metallica ( Temminck, 1824) - Moluccas (including Sula Is), New Guinea and most satellite islands, Aru Is, and NE Australia (NE Queensland).
inornata ( Salvadori, 1881) - Numfor and Biak, in N Geelvink Bay (NW New Guinea).
circumscripta ( A. B. Meyer, 1884) - E Lesser Sundas (Damar and Tanimbar Is).
purpureiceps ( Salvadori, 1878) - Admiralty Is (NW Bismarck Archipelago).
nitida ( G. R. Gray, 1858) - Bismarck Archipelago (except NW) and Solomon Is.