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Black-collared Starling Gracupica nigricollis

on 26th August 2019

“I was in Macao/Macau for a short visit to support an international disability conference and managed to get out for a very brief walk-about. Macao is very built up but there are a few green lungs near the hotels, especially those preserved near large ponds/lakes.

“I saw a reasonable number of birds including a few Black-collared Starlings Gracupica nigricollis (above, below).

“Some observation about this species:

1. A number of guides suggest that the mantel and back are black but in most birds it is more dark brown (HBW 2019 calls it sepia-brown), only occasionally darker (below).

2. The yellow eye skin is often depicted as all around the eye but more often (in most birds, even when checking online) it is confined to behind and below the eye.

3. I saw one juvenile (above) which lacked the black collar but had developed some brown in the area and had some yellow eye skin. Note that juveniles posted in OBI database are quite unusual and not typical for this species (having read & checked online).

4. The bird is more myna in behaviour than a starling. It walks about on the grass to forage and digs/probes in the ground (see second from top image) for animal prey. I also saw it take some fruit/seed.

5. I spotted one bird with nesting material, which were dried strands of long grass and roots.”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
27th June 2019

Location: Macao SAR, China

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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