Grosbeak starling


The grosbeak starling (Scissirostrum dubium), also known as the grosbeak myna, finch-billed myna, or scissor-billed starling, is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is monotypic in the genus Scissirostrum.[2] It is endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia.[1]

Its natural habitat is tropical lowland, and sometimes subtropical montane, lightly wooded forest areas and wetlands.[1]

This species nests in colonies, which frequently contain hundreds of pairs. Its nests are bored in rotting or dying tree trunks in woodpecker style. It eats fruit, insects, and grain.[2] Grosbeak starlings are highly vocal, at their colonies and in feeding flocks.[2]

The grosbeak starling was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under the binomial name Lanius dubium.[3]