Starlings
Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine (perching) birds known for the often dark, glossy iridescent sheen of their plumage; their complex vocalizations including mimicking; and their distinctive, often elaborate swarming behavior, known as murmuration.
All members of the family Sturnidae, commonly called sturnids, are known collectively as starlings. The Sturnidae are named for the genus Sturnus, which in turn comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. The family contains 128 species which are divided into 36 genera. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent plumage. Starlings are native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as northern Australia and the islands of the tropical Pacific. Several European and Asian species have been introduced to these areas, as well as North America, Hawaii, and New Zealand, where they generally compete for habitats with native birds and are considered to be invasive species. The starling species familiar to most people in Europe and North America is the common starling, and throughout much of Asia and the Pacific.
40 branches of this family, most-observed first · about 119 known species
European and Spotless Starlings
genusSturnus
Typical Mynas
genusAcridotheres
Glossy Starlings and Allies
genusLamprotornis
Asian Pied Starlings
genusGracupica
White-cheeked and Red-billed Starlings
genusSpodiopsar
Pacific Starlings
genusAplonis
Red-winged Starlings
genusOnychognathus
Sturnia Starlings
genusSturnia
Rosy Starlings
genusPastor
Hill Mynas
genusGracula
Cinnyricinclus
genusCinnyricinclus
Creatophora
genusCreatophora
Chestnut-cheeked and Daurian Starlings
genusAgropsar
Notopholia
genusNotopholia
Leucopsar
genusLeucopsar
Sarcops
genusSarcops
Papuan Mynas
genusMino
Ampeliceps
genusAmpeliceps
Scissirostrum
genusScissirostrum
Philippine Creepers
genusRhabdornis
Bare-eyed and White-necked Mynas
genusStreptocitta
Saroglossa
genusSaroglossa
Poeoptera Starlings
genusPoeoptera
Copper-tailed and Purple-headed Starlings
genusHylopsar
Helmeted Mynas
genusBasilornis
White-Faced Starlings
genusSturnornis
Enodes
genusEnodes
Hartlaubius
genusHartlaubius
Pholia
genusPholia
Speculipastor
genusSpeculipastor
Goodfellowia
genusGoodfellowia
Arizelopsar
genusArizelopsar
Grafisia
genusGrafisia
Neocichla
genusNeocichla
Fregilupus
genusFregilupus
Cryptopsar
genusCryptopsar
Necropsar
genusNecropsar
Gracupica × Sturnia
genushybridGracupica × Sturnia
Acridotheres × Gracupica
genushybridAcridotheres × Gracupica
Acridotheres × Spodiopsar
genushybridAcridotheres × Spodiopsar
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
—
geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Sturnidae in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 14841.