Birds Guide

Starlings
European Starling
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae Rafinesque, 1815
Genera
Aplonis Mino Basilornis Sarcops Streptocitta Enodes Scissirostrum Sarroglossa Ampeliceps Gracula Acridotheres Leucopsar Sturnia Sturnus Creatophora Fregilupus (extinct) Necropsar (extinct) Coccycolius Lamprotornis Cinnyricinclus Spreo Cosmoparus Onychognathus Poeoptera Grafisia Speculipastor Neochicla Buphagus See also: Oxpecker

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. Starlings occur naturally only in the Old World (Europe, Asia and Africa), some forms as far east as Australia, but several European and Asian species have been introduced to North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

They are medium-sized passerines with strong feet. Their flight is strong and direct, and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country, and they eat insects and fruit. Several species live around habitation, and are effectively omnivores. Many species search for food by opening the bill after probing it into dense vegetation; this behavior is called "open-bill probing" or is referred to by the German word "zirkeln."

Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen. Most species nest in holes, laying blue or white eggs.

Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and the members of the African genus Lamprotornis are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent plumage. The two species of Buphagus are called oxpeckers.

European Starlings introduced to North America have been a factor in reducing native cavity nesting bird populations (such as Bluebirds and Red-headed Woodpeckers) by competing aggressively for nesting cavities.

Starlings were first brought to North America in the 1890s. Eugene Schieffelin decided that North America should contain all the birds mentioned in William Shakespeare's plays. As starlings receive a brief mention in Henry IV, Part 1, Schieffelin introduced 60 of the birds in Central Park, New York.

Starlings have diverse and complex vocalizations, and have been known to imbed sounds from their surroundings into their own calls, including car alarms, and human speech patterns. The birds can recognize particular individuals by their calls, and are currently the subject of research into the evolution of human language[1].

Species list

• Genus Aplonis
  • Metallic Starling, Aplonis metallica
    Yellow-eyed Starling, Aplonis mystacea
    Singing Starling, Aplonis cantoroides
    Tanimbar Starling, Aplonis crassa
    Atoll Starling, Aplonis feadensis
    Rennell Starling, Aplonis insularis
    Long-tailed Starling, Aplonis magna
    White-eyed Starling, Aplonis brunneicapillus
    Brown-winged Starling, Aplonis grandis
    San Cristobal Starling, Aplonis dichroa
    Rusty-winged Starling, Aplonis zelandica
    Striated Starling, Aplonis striata
    Norfolk Starling, Aplonis fusca (extinct, c.1923)
    Mountain Starling, Aplonis santovestris
    Asian Glossy Starling, Aplonis panayensis
    Moluccan Starling, Aplonis mysolensis
    Short-tailed Starling, Aplonis minor
    Micronesian Starling, Aplonis opaca
    Pohnpei Starling, Aplonis pelzelni (possibly extinct, c.2000)
    Polynesian Starling, Aplonis tabuensis
    Samoan Starling, Aplonis atrifusca
    Kosrae Island Starling, Aplonis corvina (extinct, mid-19th century)
    Mysterious Starling, Aplonis mavornata (extinct, mid-19th century)
    Rarotonga Starling, Aplonis cinerascens
    Huahine Starling, Aplonis diluvialis (prehistoric)
    Bay Starling, Aplonis ulietensis (extinct, 1774 to 1850; formerly considered a thrush)

• Genus Mino
  • Yellow-faced Myna, Mino dumontii
    Golden Myna, Mino anais
    Long-tailed Myna, Mino kreffti

• Genus Basilornis
  • Sulawesi Myna, Basilornis celebensis
    Helmeted Myna, Basilornis galeatus
    Long-crested Myna, Basilornis corythaix
    Apo Myna, Basilornis mirandus

• Genus Sarcops
  • Coleto, Sarcops calvus

• Genus Streptocitta
  • White-necked Myna, Streptocitta albicollis
    Bare-eyed Myna, Streptocitta albertinae

• Genus Enodes
  • Fiery-browed Myna, Enodes erythrophris

• Genus Scissirostrum
  • Finch-billed Myna, Scissirostrum dubium

• Genus Saroglossa
  • Spot-winged Starling, Saroglossa spiloptera
    Madagascar Starling, Saroglossa aurata

• Genus Ampeliceps
  • Golden-crested Myna, Ampeliceps coronatus

• Genus Gracula
  • Common Hill Myna, Gracula religiosa
    Southern Hill Myna, Gracula indica
    Enggano Myna, Gracula enganensis
    Nias Myna, Gracula robusta
    Sri Lanka Myna, Gracula ptilogenys

• Genus Acridotheres
  • White-vented Myna, Acridotheres grandis
    Crested Myna, Acridotheres cristatellus
    Javan Myna, Acridotheres javanicus
    Pale-bellied Myna, Acridotheres cinereus
    Jungle Myna, Acridotheres fuscus
    Collared Myna, Acridotheres albocinctus
    Bank Myna, Acridotheres ginginianus
    Common Myna, Acridotheres tristis

• Genus Leucopsar
  • Bali Myna, Leucopsar rothschildi

• Genus Sturnia (often included in Sturnus)
  • Daurian Starling, Sturnia sturnina
    Chestnut-cheeked Starling, Sturnia philippensis
    White-shouldered Starling, Sturnia sinensis
    Chestnut-tailed Starling, Sturnia malabarica
    White-headed Starling, Sturnia erythropygia

• Genus Sturnus
  • White-faced Starling, Sturnus albofrontatus (sometimes named S. senex)
    Brahminy Starling, Sturnus pagodarum
    Vinous-breasted Starling, Sturnus burmannicus (sometimes separated in Gracupica)
    Black-collared Starling, Sturnus nigricollis (sometimes separated in Gracupica)
    Asian Pied Starling, Sturnus contra (sometimes placed in Acridotheres)
    Black-winged Starling, Sturnus melanopterus (sometimes placed in Acridotheres)
    Rosy Starling, Sturnus roseus
    Red-billed Starling, Sturnus sericeus
    White-cheeked Starling, Sturnus cineraceus
    European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris
    Spotless Starling, Sturnus unicolor

• Genus Creatophora
  • Wattled Starling, Creatophora cinerea

• Genus Fregilupus
  • Réunion Starling, Fregilupus varius (extinct, 1850s)

• Genus Necropsar
  • Rodrigues Starling, Necropsar rodericanus (extinct, late 18th century?)

The supposed N. leguati was determined to be in reality a mislabelled albino specimen of the Martinique Trembler (Cinclocerthia gutturalis).

• Genus Coccycolius
  • Emerald Starling, Coccycolius iris (sometimes placed in Lamprotornis)

• Genus Lamprotornis
  • Cape Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis nitens
    Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis chalybaeus
    Lesser Blue-eared Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis chloropterus
    Southern Blue-eared Glossy-starling, Lamprotornis elisabeth
    Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis chalcurus
    Splendid Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis splendidus
    Principe Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis ornatus
    Purple Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis purpureus
    Rueppell's Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis purpuroptera
    Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis caudatus
    Meves' Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis mevesii
    Burchell's Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis australis
    Sharp-tailed Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis acuticaudus
    Black-bellied Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis corruscus
    Superb Starling, Lamprotornis superbus
    Hildebrandt's Starling, Lamprotornis hildebrandti
    Shelley's Starling, Lamprotornis shelleyi
    Chestnut-bellied Starling, Lamprotornis pulcher
    Purple-headed Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis purpureiceps
    Copper-tailed Glossy Starling, Lamprotornis cupreocauda

• Genus Cinnyricinclus
  • Violet-backed Starling, Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
    Sharpe's Starling, Cinnyricinclus sharpii (sometimes separated in Pholia)
    Abbott's Starling, Cinnyricinclus femoralis (sometimes separated in Pholia)

• Genus Spreo
  • African Pied Starling, Spreo bicolor
    Fischer's Starling, Spreo fischeri
    White-crowned Starling, Spreo albicapillus

• Genus Compsarus
  • Golden-breasted Starling, Compsarus regius (sometimes placed in Lamprotornis)
    Ashy Starling, Compsarus unicolor (sometimes placed in Spreo)

• Genus Onychognathus
  • Red-winged Starling, Onychognathus morio
    Slender-billed Starling, Onychognathus tenuirostris
    Chestnut-winged Starling, Onychognathus fulgidus
    Waller's Starling, Onychognathus walleri
    Somali Starling, Onychognathus blythii
    Socotra Starling, Onychognathus frater
    Tristram's Starling, Onychognathus tristramii
    Pale-winged Starling, Onychognathus nabouroup
    Bristle-crowned Starling, Onychognathus salvadorii
    White-billed Starling, Onychognathus albirostris
    Neumann's Starling, Onychognathus neumanni

• Genus Poeoptera
  • Narrow-tailed Starling, Poeoptera lugubris
    Stuhlmann's Starling, Poeoptera stuhlmanni
    Kenrick's Starling, Poeoptera kenricki

• Genus Grafisia
  • White-collared Starling, Grafisia torquata

• Genus Speculipastor
  • Magpie Starling, Speculipastor bicolor

• Genus Neocichla
  • Babbling Starling, Neocichla gutturalis

• Genus Buphagus
  • Red-billed Oxpecker, Buphagus erythrorhynchus
    Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Buphagus africanus

External links

• Starling videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• [2] a huge flock of starlings enjoys playing with two resilient trees.