▁two ▁separate ▁colon is ations ▁of ▁star lings ▁in ▁the ▁Mas car enes ▁from ▁Asia , ▁with ▁the ▁ho op oe ▁star ling ▁being ▁the ▁latest ▁arrival . ▁A part ▁from ▁Mad agas car , ▁the ▁Mas car enes ▁were ▁the ▁only ▁islands ▁in ▁the ▁south - west ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁that ▁contained ▁native ▁star lings . ▁This ▁is ▁probably ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁isol ation , ▁varied ▁top ography ▁and ▁veget ation ▁of ▁these ▁islands . ▁ ▁Description ▁ ▁The ▁Rod rig ues ▁star ling ▁was ▁large ▁for ▁a ▁star ling , ▁being ▁ ▁in ▁length . ▁Its ▁body ▁was ▁white ▁or ▁grey ish ▁white , ▁with ▁black ish - b rown ▁wings , ▁and ▁a ▁yellow ▁bill ▁and ▁legs . ▁T aff oret ' s ▁complete ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁bird ▁reads ▁as ▁follows : ▁ ▁T aff oret ▁was ▁familiar ▁with ▁the ▁fa una ▁of ▁Ré union , ▁where ▁the ▁related ▁ho op oe ▁star ling ▁lived . ▁He ▁made ▁several ▁compar isons ▁between ▁the ▁fa unas ▁of ▁different ▁locations , ▁so ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁mention ▁a ▁cr est ▁on ▁the ▁Rod rig ues ▁star ling ▁indicates ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁absent . ▁His ▁description ▁of ▁their ▁colour ation ▁is ▁similar . ▁ ▁H ume ▁notes ▁that ▁the ▁sk ull ▁of ▁the ▁Rod rig ues ▁star ling ▁was ▁about ▁the ▁same ▁size ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁ho op oe ▁star ling , ▁but ▁the ▁ske leton ▁was ▁smaller . ▁Though ▁the ▁Rod rig ues ▁star ling ▁was ▁clearly ▁able ▁to ▁fly