If you spot a flock of black birds with blood-red eyes, don’t freak out! They’re just Asian glossy starlings (Aplonis panayensis) roosting together for the night.
Asian glossy starlings, locally called mamadyang, are common residents of El Nido and Taytay. They use their slender, pointed bills to feed on small fruits, insects, and small invertebrates. They’re also found all over the place – from secondary growth, forest edge, and coasts, to cultivated areas, towns, and gardens. Asian glossy starlings are also pretty noisy birds and they can also mimic the calls of other birds.
Did you know that a flock of starlings is called a “murmuration“?
Asian glossy starlings range from east India to southeast Asia and the Philippines, with the subspecies panayensis endemic to the Philippines.
El Nido and Taytay are home to more than 100 species of birds, including several endemics. Do visit us and see them in the wild!
Photos by Jamie Dichaves, Environmental Officer of Lagen Island Resort. Photos taken in Lagen and Apulit Island Resorts.
Ten Knots Group Environment and Sustainability 
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