Sturnus sericeus Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, 805.
Heterornis sericea Cassin, Ornith. Perry Japan Exped., Washington
(1856), 2, 238, pl. 5.
Poliopsar sericeus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1890), 13, 44
(generic name emended to Spodiopsar, addenda, p. 665).
Spodiopsar sericeus McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4,
24; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 108.
Calayan (McGregor). Central and southern China.
"Adult.--General color above light ashy gray, a little darker on the
hind neck, where the feathers are long and lanceolate; scapulars like
the back, externally white, with a subterminal shade of black; rump and
upper tail-coverts a little lighter gray, with ashy whitish margins;
lesser wing-coverts blackish, edged with slaty gray; median coverts
glossy purplish black; greater coverts black, externally glossy green,
with purple reflections, velvety black interiorly; alula-feathers
black, externally white; primary-coverts white, black near the center
of the tips of the feathers; quills black, the primaries externally
glossy purple, and white at the extreme base; the secondaries
externally glossy green, like the greater coverts, bluish or purple
toward the ends; center tail-feathers glossy green, the remainder
black, externally bluish green or purple; crown of head and nape,
sides of face, ear-coverts, cheeks, throat, sides of neck, and fore
neck white, followed by an ashy gray breast; abdomen white; sides of
body and flanks pale ashy gray tinged with brown; thighs white, ashy
gray posteriorly; under tail-coverts white; under wing-coverts and
axillars white; quills below dusky, ashy brown along the inner edge,
the base of the quills white. 'Bill bright red, with the tips white;
feet orange; iris black, with a light circle.' (David.) Length, 198;
culmen, 25; wing, 120; tail, 61; tarsus, 29.
"All the males [in the British Museum], so marked, are of a delicate
gray, and vary very slightly in the direction of a whiter or a browner
head. A female collected by Mr. Reeves at Ningpo is altogether browner,
rather more ashy on the rump; the gloss on the wings and tail less
distinct; primary-coverts blackish brown near the base, white at the
ends, with a central black streak; head whitish, ashy gray on sides
of crown and hind neck; sides of face whitish, ashy on the cheeks;
under surface of body as in the male, but light brown instead of
gray. This specimen is apparently immature." (Sharpe.)
A solitary female of the silky starling was obtained on Calayan
Island in November, 1903. Iris dirty white; legs bright yellow; nails
yellowish brown; basal one-half of bill reddish yellow; terminal
half dusky. Length, 216; wing, 118; tail, 71; culmen from base, 24;
bill from nostril, 16; tarsus, 29; middle toe with claw, 30.