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Singing Starlings Aplonis Cantoroides and Other Birds on Boigu Island, Torres Strait, Queensland

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Singing Starlings Aplonis Cantoroides and Other Birds on Boigu Island, Torres Strait, Queensland AUSTRALIAN 20 BIRD WATCHER AUSTRALIAN BIRD WATCHER 1997, 17, 20-24 Singing Starlings Aplonis cantoroides and Other Birds on Boigu Island, Torres Strait, Queensland by MIKE CARTER1, RORY O'BRIEN2 and NEIL MACUMBER3 130 Canadian Bay Road, Mt Eliza, Victoria 3930 23 Valentine Avenue, Kew, Victoria 3101 3C/- Post Office, Pomonal, Victoria 3381 Summary Ornithological reports from islands in Torres Strait are scarce. Birds seen during a visit to Boigu Island in July 1995 are listed. Significant sightings include Singing Starling Aplonis cantoroides (first authenticated record for Australia), Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus, fig-parrot Cyclopsitta sp., Frilled Monarch Arses telescopthalmus, Northern Fantail Rhipidura rufiventris and House Sparrow Passer domesticus. Introduction Boigu Island is situated about 10 km south of the coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in Torres Strait, Queensland, at 9 °17 'S, 142 °13 'E (Draffan et al. 1983). It is the most northerly part of Australia. The island of 7150 ha has one small settlement, with most of the remainder forest and fresh-water swamp (O'Brien 1995). As a consequence of its proximity to PNG, its avifauna is more New Guinean than Australian. We visited Boigu from 18 to 20 July 1995, and here provide an annotated list of 60 species recorded (Appendix 1). All observations were within 3 km of the village. The swampy nature of the terrain makes access to most of the island difficult. We added 15 species to the 72 listed for the island by Draffan et al. (1983) in just two days, indicating the lack of ornithological reports from the island. Five had not previously been reported from Torres Strait. We confirmed the presence of Singing Starling Aplonis cantoroides, a new bird for Australia, here documented. Weather during our visit was mostly fine, partly cloudy, hot and humid around midday. Singing Starling On 22 January 1988 Greg Roberts saw Singing Starlings feeding on figs in a tree on Boigu Island. Britton (1990) included the sighting, following a report in the Queensland Ornithological Society Neswletter, with the qualification 'No proper documentation'. In July 1992, at the request of Mike Carter, Roberts sent a statement regarding his observation to the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union Records Appraisal Committee (RAC). No substantiating or corroborating evidence was presented, therefore the record was not circulated within the committee (R.M. Patterson, Chairman, in litt.). On the basis of this report the species was included in the supplementary list of species occurring in Australia and its territories (Christidis & Boles 1994). Following news of our observation, Roberts (1996) submitted details of his original sighting to the Queensland Ornithological Society Records Appraisal Committee and this was accepted by that state body. However, the observation date was given in error as 22 December 1987, although stated as 22 January 1988 in the original submission to the RAC. Moreover, MC received the message from Roberts, regarding his important find, at Cairns Airport on 25 January 1988 as MC was heading north to Torres Strait and Roberts was returning from his first brief visit to Boigu. VOL. 17 (1) MARCH 1997 Singing Starling and Other Birds on Boigu 21 Our Singing Starling observations were made during c. 2 hours on tJte afternoon of 18 July and for c. 1 hour on the afternoon of 19 July, in the village at Koedal Boepur where Roberts had seen them. Although the birds frequented the settled area, they were more retiring than is usual for 'urban' birds and were difficult to observe. They were seen foraging, generally as adult pairs, in palm crowns, especially a Corytha elata laden with unripe fruit, and a paw-paw tree. A mango tree Mangifera indica was favoured for loafing and preening during late afternoon. At least four adults and three immatures were seen but a flock of nine or ten flew into the adjacent mangroves on the evening of 18 July, apparently in pre-roosting assembly. Otherwise, the immatures stayed in the vicinity of the favoured mango tree. Description General. Adults and immatures closely resembled equivalent-age Metallic Starlings Aplonis metallica in most respects, <\iffering mainly in length and shape of the tail. Size and shape. Familiar species available for comparison were House Sparrow Passer domesticus and Varied Honeyeater Lichenostomus versicolor. Compared with House Sparrows, the Starlings were longer in body and tail, being approximately one-third longer overall. They appeared more slightly built and shorter than the Varied Honeyeaters. Bill shape resembled that of an oriole Oriolus sp. with a small hook at the tip of the down-curved upper mandible. It was shorter and not so dagger-like as that of the Common Starling Stumus vulgaris. The tail was parallel-sided and square-tipped when closed, rounded when fanned. It was shorter than that of the Metallic Starling but longer and not as broad at the tip as that of the Common Starling. Bare parts. Bill shiny black in adults, duller in immatures. Legs blackish, paler in immatures. Eyes orange-red in adults, dull to bright orange in immatures. Plumage. Adults appeared wholly black but in favourable light were greenish black with a green gloss. The greenish tinge would have been hard to detect but for the contrast with a strip of intense black which extended back from the base of the bill and expanded to encircle the eye. This area appeared to be either finely feathered or bare. The breast feathering was uneven in texture, giving a ruffled appearance. Immatures were reminiscent of the Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus. Upperparts were paler than those of the Metallic Starling. From nape to tip of tail, greyish brown with olivaceous tinge. Forehead, crown and nape brown. Throat olivey off-white finely streaked black. Remaining underparts more boldly streaked on a whiter background. Carter considered these streaks finer and less bold than those on Metallic Starlings he saw in April 1995. Blackish marks, similar to those of the adults, covered !ores and circled the eyes. Call. A loud House Sparrow-like cheep uttered when alighting in tree containing conspecifics and in chorus, with increasing excitement, before departing an assembly. Flight. Swift and direct. Conclusion These observations identify the birds as Singing Starlings. All other glossy starlings in the region have long graduated tails (Beehler et. al. 1986, Coates 1990). Referring to the Singing Starling, Beehler (1978) stated 'This species is unique in having the short squared-off tail and red iris'. An earlier version of this documentation was assessed by the RAC and the record unanimously accepted (submission no. 196, Bob Patterson in litt.), so the species can now be elevated to the officially authorised Australian list. Discussion Singing Starlings occur in lowlands throughout much of New Guinea including most larger and some smaller islands (Beehler et al. 1986). However, in PNG they are absent from large areas of the south coast including the region adjacent to Boigu Island (Coates 1990). Therefore, contrary to Roberts (1996), their occurrence on Boigu is surprising. According to Coates (1990), the nearest known population is on Daru AUSTRALIAN 22 CARTER, O'BRIEN & MACUMBER BIRD WATCHER Female Yell ow-bellied Sunbird at nest Plate 3 Photo: G.A. Cumming Island which is over 100 km to the east. Knowing of Roberts' report, Coates (1990 and in litt.) listed Boigu as a site for the Singing Starling. Whereas Roberts saw Singing Starlings on Boigu in the wet season, we saw them in the dry. A similar number was seen on both occasions, suggesting that the species is resident on the island. The continuing presence of the species is confirmed by P. Lansley (pers. comm.), who saw a small flock on Boigu and two on the adjacent island of Saibai in July 1996. The presence of immatures suggests that they breed locally. Our description of the call does not match published renditions. Aware of this, during his visit P. Lansley managed to obtain good sound-recordings of three different calls for analysis. Acknowledgements We thank the Boigu Island Community Council for sanctioning our visit and in particular Ray Mararna, Father Blanket and Georgina for responding to the initial enquiries from Carter and for making us so welcome. We also thank Guy Hendriks, the school principal, and his wife Sue for arranging our accommodation and for their hospitality during our stay. Greg Roberts obligingly informed Mike Carter immediately he discovered the Starlings and assisted with information on the logistics of a visit to Boigu. Peter Britton provided information on the Sunbird reference and likewise Bob Patterson on submissions to the RAC. Brian Coates answered our query regarding his source for listing Boigu as a site for Singing Starling. Heather Gibbs and Tricia Carter assisted in various ways. We are particularly grateful to Clifford Frith for improving the text and for drawing our attention to some relevant literature. References Beehler, B.M. (1978), Uplmui Birds ofNortheastern New Guinea, Wau Ecology Institute, Wau, Papua New Guinea. --,Pratt, T.K. & Zimmerman, D.A. (1986), Birds ofNew Guinea, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. VOL. 17 (1) MARCH 1997 Singing Starling and Other Birds on Boigu 23 Blakers, M., Davies, S.J.J.F. & Reilly, P.N. (1984), The Atlas of Australian Birds, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne. Britton, P.L. (1990), 'Queensland Ornithological Society Bird Report, 1988', Sunbird 20, 18-32. Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. (1994), The Taxonomyand Species ofBirds ofAusrralia and its Territories, RAOU Monograph 2, Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, Melbourne. Coates, B.J. (1990), The Birds of Papua New Guinea, vol. 2, Passerines, Dove, Brisbane. Draffan, R.D.W., Garnett, S.T. & Malone, G.J. (1983), 'Birds of Torres Strait: an annotated list and biogeographical analysis', Emu 83, 207-234.
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