Red-billed Starling

Red-billed Starling
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Spodiopsar sericeus

Malay Name: Perling Paruh Merah

Chinese Name: 丝光椋鸟

Range: Breeding Range: (OR) s, se China.

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 21-24cm

Identification: Medium-sized starling with red bill, sometimes tipped black. Males have a white head, greyish body. Females are brownish. Both sexes have black wings, with white wing patches; black tails; yellowish legs.

Habitat: Gardens, parks, fields and scrub.

Behaviour/Ecology:

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2018)

Featured reports: Dec 2022, Jan 2023, Dec 2024

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Red-billed Starling Spodiopsar sericeus
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak week Dec 10-Dec 16
Early date 30 Nov 2013
Late date 07 Jan 2023
Previously considered only an escapee, but recent sightings in southeast Asia suggest that this species is likely to occur as a vagrant.
Red-billed Starling at Dempsey Hill. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Red-billed Starling at Dempsey Hill. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Red-billed Starling at Dempsey Hill. Photo credit: Francis Yap

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Red-billed Starling)

References:

BirdLife International. (2018). Spodiopsar sericeus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22710867A132091096.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Red-billed Starling. Retrieved on July 18, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/red-billed-starling.

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