Harman Patil (Editor)

Sturnus

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Kingdom
  
Scientific name
  
Sturnus

Phylum
  
Chordata

Rank
  
Genus

Family
  
Sturnidae

Mass
  
Common starling: 75 g

Higher classification
  
Starling

Order
  
Passerine

Sturnus wwwhlasekcomfotosturnusroseusf2614jpg

Lower classifications
  
Common starling, Rosy starling, Spotless starling, White‑cheeked starling, Black‑collared starling

Sturnus vulgaris common starling feeding its young cute little birds peeking


Sturnus is a genus of starlings. As discussed below, the taxonomy of this group is complex, and other authorities differ considerably in which species they place in this genus, and in the species boundaries within Sturnus. The genus name Sturnus is the Latin for "starling".

Contents

This genus has representatives across most of Eurasia and one species, the European starling, has been introduced to South Africa, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

The Sturnus starlings are terrestrial species; they walk rather than hop, and have modifications to the skull and its muscles for open-bill probing. The latter adaptation has facilitated the spread of this genus from humid tropical southern Asia to cooler regions of Europe and Asia.

The more northerly breeding species are completely or partially migratory, wintering in warmer regions.

Sturnus starlings nest in holes in trees or buildings. They are omnivorous and mostly feed on the ground; they specialise in taking invertebrates from just below the surface. This is facilitated by the head adaptations mentioned above, which enable the birds to probe with the bill open, closing it to secure prey items.

The plumages within this group are variable, but all the species have the starling's familiar triangular wing shape.

Fledging starling chick with parent bird sturnus vulgaris birds uk


Taxonomy and systematics

The European (the type species) and spotless starlings are particularly closely related, and interbreed to some extent where their ranges overlap in southwestern France and northeastern Spain. The non-migratory spotless starling may be descended from a population of ancestral S. vulgaris that survived in an Iberian refugium during an ice age retreat.

Extant species

Two extant species are recognized:

  • Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
  • Spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor)
  • Former species

    Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Sturnus:

  • Straw-headed bulbul (as Sturnus zeylanicus)
  • References

    Sturnus Wikipedia


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