Sturnia
| Sturnia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sturnia pagodarum | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Sturnidae |
| Genus: | Sturnia Lesson, 1837 |
Sturnia is a genus of Asian birds in the family Sturnidae. It is sometimes merged with Sturnus.[1]
Species
The old genus placements with the starlings was found to be polyphyletic resulting in changes in the placement. A 2008 study places the following species within this genus:[2]
- White-shouldered starling, Sturnia sinensis.
- Chestnut-tailed starling, Sturnia malabarica.
- Malabar starling, Sturnia blythii.
- White-headed starling, Sturnia erythropygia.
- Brahminy starling, Sturnia pagodarum
Former taxonomic treatments have included:
- White-faced starling, Sturnia albofrontata.
- Daurian starling, Sturnia sturnina.
- Chestnut-cheeked starling, Sturnia philippensis.
If the first of these is included, it seems highly warranted to include in Sturnia also the monotypic genera Leucopsar (Bali starling) and Fregilupus (Bourbon crested starling), and perhaps the enigmatic Necropsar (Rodrigues starling). On the other hand, if these distinct genera are maintained, the white-faced starling would receive its own genus Sturnornis[2]
The other two would better be dealt with by resurrecting Agropsar, either as distinct genus or as subgenus of Gracupica which otherwise includes the black-collared starling ("Sturnus" nigricollis) and pied myna ("Sturnus" contra); these four form a robust and ancient group of two sister species that is perhaps even closer to the wattled starling (Creatophpora cinerea) than to the actual Sturnus. Their similarity to Sturnia proper is probably simply a symplesiomorphy.[2]
References
- ↑ Clements, J. (2007). The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World. 6th edition. Christopher Helm. ISBN 978-0-7136-8695-1
- 1 2 3 Zuccon, D., Pasquet, E. & Ericson, P. G. P. (2008). Phylogenetic relationships among Palearctic–Oriental starlings and mynas (genera Sturnus and Acridotheres : Sturnidae). Zoologica Scripta, 37:469–481 PDF
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