Grosbeak starling

Scissirostrum dubium

Grosbeak starling web
IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Birds
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae

Our grosbeak starlings can be found in the top corner of the zoo, next to our cotton-top tamarins.

These birds are native to tropical lowlands and sometimes wetlands on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Their diet consists of fruit, insects and grain.

Interesting facts!

  • This species nests in colonies, which frequently contain hundreds of pairs. Its nests are formed in rotting or dying tree trunks.
  • Grosbeak starlings are highly vocal, at their colonies and in feeding flocks.
  • During the breeding season, the Grosbeak Starling male performs courtship displays accompanied by song. The male approaches the female while producing series of chuckling notes with fluffed throat feathers.

Conservation

They currently have a stable population but do face the threats of habitat loss and encroachment by humans.