Chestnut-cheeked Starling

This species is defined as a rarity. Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page.

Scientific Name: Agropsar philippensis
Malay Name: Perling Pipi Coklat
Chinese Name: 紫背椋鸟
Alternative Name(s): Red-cheeked Starling, Violet-backed Starling

Range:
Found from Sakhalin to Northern Japan, wintering to Southern Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo, Peninsula Malaysia and Singapore.

Taxonomy:
Monotypic.

Size: 16.5-17 cm

Identification:
Male resembles Daurian Starling but has diagnostic chestnut patch on ear-coverts and neck-side. Female without chestnut patch and difficult to separate from female Daurian Starling but when in flight, lacks whitish tips to scapulars, greater coverts and tertials.

Similar looking species: Daurian Starling, White-shouldered Starling

Habitat: Wooded areas and open habitats.

Behaviour/Ecology: Feed on insects and fruits.

Local Status: Very rare vagrant.

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2018)

Past accepted records in our database:

Past records, bar chart (see more bar charts):

Photos:

Chestnut-cheeked Starling at Bidadari. Photo credit: Mohamad Zahidi
Chestnut-cheeked Starling. Photo Credit: Mohamad Zahidi
Chestnut-cheeked Starling. Photo Credit: Mohamad Zahidi
Male Chestnut-cheeked Starling in flight at Henderson Waves Bridge. Photo credit: See Toh Yew Wai
Male Chestnut-cheeked Starling in flight at Henderson Waves Bridge. Photo credit: See Toh Yew Wai

External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Photos: Oriental Bird Images
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Chestnut-cheeked Starling)

References:
BirdLife International. (2018). Agropsar philippensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22710874A131960017.en. Accessed on 19 December 2021

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

Wells, D. R. (1999). The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula (Vol. 1). Academic Press, London.