Chestnut-tailed Starling (Sturnia malabarica)

Other Names (World)
Chestnut-tailed Starling, Grey-headed Starling, Gray-headed Starling, Grey-headed Myna, Gray-headed Myna, Ashy-headed Starling, Ashy-headed Myna, Blyth's White-headed Starling (blythii), Blyth's White-headed Myna (blythii), Malabar White-headed Starling (blythii), Malabar White-headed Myna (blythii)

Family
Sturnidae (Starlings)

Size
18.50 - 20.50 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Gmelin, 1789)

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical dry forest, dry savanna, plantations.

Range (Guide)

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (mainland), India, Laos (B), Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam.

Vagrant to Hong Kong (China).

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (37)...)

Chestnut-tailed Starling (Sturnia malabarica) [XC395053]
by Kuan-Chieh (Chuck) Hung, Taiwanbirdguide.com from Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, India (call)

Chestnut-tailed Starling (Sturnia malabarica) [XC612368]
by Bram Piot from Nong Khamsen wetland, Vientiane Prefecture, Laos (flight call)

Subspecies
Distinctive subspecies 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 subspecies assamica (described from Naga Hills, in north-eastern India) synonymized with nemoricola. Type locality of species falls outside breeding range of nominate subspecies and instead within range of subspecies blythii, but in non-breeding season both forms can co-occur in this region. Name was presumably based on a visiting specimen.

The following 3 subspecies are recognised:

malabarica (Gmelin, 1789) - Northern India (foothills in Himachal Pradesh) east to north-eastern Arunachal Pradesh (Mishmi Hills) and northern Assam, south to Orissa. Occurs in remainder of peninsula, but status uncertain.
blythii (Jerdon, 1845) - South-western India (from southern Maharashtra south to Kerala).
nemoricola Jerdon, 1862 - North-eastern India (southern Assam) east to Myanmar, southern China, Thailand and Indochina.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Chestnut-tailed Starling (Sturnia malabarica) - 10 files

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BirdLife International

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