Starlings (Sturnidae)
Chestnut-tailed Starling (Sturnia malabarica) - HBW 14, p. 731
French: Étourneau à tête grise
German: Graukopfstar
Spanish: Estornino Malabar
Other common names: Grey-headed/Ashy-headed Starling/Myna; Blyth's/Malabar White-headed Starling/Myna (blythii)
Taxonomy: Turdus malabaricus J. F. Gmelin, 1789, Malabar coast, India.
Genus often subsumed into Sturnus. Distinctive race blythii has sometimes been treated as a separate species on basis of plumage, proportions, sexual dimorphism, and vocal differences; claims of intergradation have been disputed. Proposed race assamica (described from Naga Hills, in NE India) synonymized with nemoricola. Type locality of species falls outside breeding range of nominate race and instead within range of race blythii, but in non-breeding season both forms can co-occur in this region; name presumably based on a visiting specimen. Three subspecie.. View all taxonomy...
Genus often subsumed into Sturnus. Distinctive race blythii has sometimes been treated as a separate species on basis of plumage, proportions, sexual dimorphism, and vocal differences; claims of intergradation have been disputed. Proposed race assamica (described from Naga Hills, in NE India) synonymized with nemoricola. Type locality of species falls outside breeding range of nominate race and instead within range of race blythii, but in non-breeding season both forms can co-occur in this region; name presumably based on a visiting specimen. Three subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- malabarica ( J. F. Gmelin, 1789) - N India (foothills in Himachal Pradesh) E to NE Arunachal Pradesh (Mishmi Hills) and N Assam, S to Orissa; occurs in remainder of peninsula, but status uncertain.
- blythii ( Jerdon, 1845) - SW India (from S Maharashtra S to Kerala).
- nemoricola Jerdon, 1862 - NE India (S Assam) E to Myanmar, S China, Thailand and Indochina.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird caling and preening. Locality Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Ernakulam District, Kerala, India (ssp blythii)
Josep del Hoyo 30 November 2009 2 years ago 46 sec 4 -
An adult feeding on a flowering tree Locality Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India (ssp malabarica)
Greg Baker 18 March 2011 45 weeks ago 24 sec 3.8 -
An adult on a tree... Locality Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Soumyadeep Chatterjee 97 7 August 2011 30 weeks ago 43 sec 3.5 -
An adult flying away from its perch on a branch. Then preening in a tree Locality Cotigao National Park, Goa, India (Monotypic species)
Tom Tarrant 8 years ago 19 sec 3.4 -
An individual moving in a tree, eating fruits. Locality Tmatboey, Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia (Monotypic species)
Josep del Hoyo 7 March 2011 52 weeks ago 29 sec 3.3 -
A group preening in a leafless tree Locality Rangsit Marsh, Central Thailand, Thailand (Monotypic species)
Josep del Hoyo 22 November 2004 6 years ago 23 sec 3.3
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Seen in a bush.
Locality Arpora Forest, North Goa District, Goa, India
David Lingard 15 November 2011 5 weeks ago 4.3 -
Starling perched
Locality Bangalore, Karnataka, India
harikamal 13 November 2011 26 weeks ago 4 -
A winter migrant
Locality Masinagudi, The Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu, India (ssp malabarica)
vasanthan.p.j 29 December 2010 1 year ago 4 -
A bird on a tree.
Locality Uttarakhand, India
Soumyadeep Chatterjee 97 26 May 2011 28 weeks ago 3.9 -
Inside a dining hall ( ? ) ; especially put up for birds .
Locality Yavatmal, Yavatmal District, Maharashtra, India
Jayant Atrey 22 May 2012 5 days ago ADDED LAST WEEK 3.8 -
The Soth Indian race of Chestnut -tailed Starlings have lighter colored head than the Northern race.
Locality Mysore, Mysore District, Karnataka, India
Ragoorao 12 November 2010 1 year ago 3.7
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A bird giving calls Locality Volière Gesellschaft, St. Gallen, St. Gallen Canton, Switzerland
Michael C 1 January 2008 2 years ago 4 -
Calling in morning
Locality Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, India
(ssp malabarica)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 November 1996 2 years ago 3
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