From Opus

Nominate subspecies
Photo by Yeshey Dorji
Misena, Wangduephodrang, Bhutan, March 2005

Alternative names: Grey-headed Myna/Starling; Ashy-headed Myna/Starling

Sturnia malabarica

[edit] Identification

subspecies nemoricola
Photo by mohbhorn
Kampangsaen Campus Kasetsart University, Thailand, April 2007

20cm. A small Starling with elongate and hackled feathers on cronw, nape, side of face and throat.

• White forehead and chin
• Silver-grey head with streaked appearance
• Grey upperparts
• Orange-brown rump
• Grey wings with black primary coverts and brown secondaries
• Grey tail, tipped chestnut
• Rich cinnamon-brown brest and belly
• Greyish-white eye
• Bill blue at base, green in middle and yellow at tip
• nemoricola is much paler than nominate, has dirty white underparts and grey or white primary coverts (forming a white wing patch)

Sexes similar. Juveniles are grey-brown.

[edit] Similar species

The subspecies nemoricola can look similar to White-shouldered Starling.

[edit] Distribution

Juvenile
Photo by scottishdude
Goa, India, May 2009

It is a resident breeder from India to Myanmar, south-west China, Thailand and Indochina. Vagrant in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Fairly common.

[edit] Taxonomy

Two subspecies usually recognized:

• S. m. malabaricus in northern India to northeast India and south to Orissa. Summer visitor to Nepal
• S. m. nemoricola from northeast India east to Burma, south China, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

Malabar Starling was formerly included in this species.
Chestnut-tailed Starling is sometimes placed in the genus Sturnus which leads to the scientific name Sturnus malabaricus.

[edit] Habitat

Open woodland, cultivation with scattered trees, often in young forest plantations and also close to human settlements. Found from the lowland to the foothills, up to 2000m in India, 1500m in southeast Asia.

[edit] Behaviour

Usually seen in pairs or small flocks, also in bigger flocks.
Forms communal roosts, often with other species like Asian Pied Starling.
They fly in tight flocks and often rapidly change directions with great synchrony.

[edit] Diet

Omnivorous. Feeds on insects, fruit, seeds and nectar.

[edit] Breeding

Breeding season from April to July in northern India and April to June in southeast Asia. A monogamous species. The nest is placed in a tree hole (often an old hole of a Woodpecker or a Barbet. Lays 3 - 5 eggs.

[edit] Movements

Not well understood. Nominate birds seem to winter in southern India. The population in Thailand is also augmented in winter by birds from the north of the range.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507

• List of references

[edit] External Links