Malabar starling

The Malabar starling (Sturnia blythii) is a species of starling found in southwestern India. It was previously considered a subspecies of the chestnut-tailed starling.

Malabar starling
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Sturnidae
Genus:	Sturnia
Species:	S. blythii
Binomial name
Sturnia blythii (Jerdon, 1845)
Synonyms
Sturnus blythii

They nest in tree holes 3-15 mm above the ground.^[1]

Nestlings eat insects, lepidopteran larvae, beetles, small vertebrates, and nectar.^[1][2]

Taxonomy

The Malabar starling was formerly placed in the genus Sturnus. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2008 found that the genus was polyphyletic.^[3] In the reoganization to create monotypic genera, the Malabar starling was one of five starlings moved to the resurrected genus Sturnia that had been introduced in 1837 by René Lesson. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.^[4] The Malabar starling was formerly considered to be conspecific with the chestnut-tailed starling (Sturnia malabarica).^[4][5]

At Dandeli, India.

References

1. Jude, D., et al. "Provisioning behaviour of Malabar Starling Sturnia blythii."
2. Variar, Athira S.; Anoop, N. R.; Vinayan, P. A.; Ajayan, P. A.; Sujin, N. S.; Ali, Askar; Prasadan, P. K.; Smija, M. K.; Babu, Santhanakrishnan (2021-07-30). "Resident Birds Show Different Patterns in Species Composition and Functional Diversity in Differently Managed Coffee Plantations in the Western Ghats, India". Ornithological Science. 20 (2). doi:10.2326/osj.20.185. ISSN 1347-0558.
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 (5): 469–481. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2008.00339.x.
4. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2023). "Nuthatches, Wallcreeper, treecreepers, mockingbirds, starlings, oxpeckers". IOC World Bird List Version 13.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
5. Rasmussen, Pamela C.; Anderton, John C. (2012). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Vol. 2: Attributes and Status (2nd ed.). Washington D.C. and Barcelona: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Lynx Edicions. p. 581. ISBN 978-84-96553-87-3.