Metallic Starling Aplonis metallica

The Metallic Starling, also called the Shining Starling, has iridescent greenish black plumage and a black mask like some of the African Glossy Starlings but is native to north-eastern Australasia. (North-eastern Australia, New Guinea and adjacent islands.) The similarly glossy Trumpet Manucode, dark blue with red eyes, is also native to north-eastern Australia and New Guinea.

Male and female have similar iridescent dark green plumage but juveniles are very different, with light, streaked undersides and glossy, greyish topsides. Some other starlings in the Aplonis genus, such as the Asian Glossy Starling, look similar.

The juvenile Metallics (above centre/right) also look similar to the Asian Glossy juveniles.