Pohnpei Starling

Aplonis pelzelni Finsch, 1876

Pohnpei Starling Aplonis pelzelni is a starling of montane Pohnpei in the Pacific Ocean, and it may now be extinct. It is tied to the island’s damp mountain forests, where it was found above 425 m and also lower down. The bird was dark overall, with sooty brown upperparts, a darker head, black forehead and lores, paler wings, rump, uppertail coverts and tail, olive-brown underparts, and black bill and feet. Its iris was brown. Young birds were similar, but paler above. It was first described by Finsch in 1876.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Sturnidae — Starlings, Rhabdornises

Breeding range

Pacific Ocean: montane Pohnpei (=Ponape, e Caroline Is., c Micronesia; perhaps extinct)