Sturnia


Sturnia is a genus of Asian birds in the family Sturnidae. It is sometimes merged with Sturnus.

Species

The old genus' placement with the starlings was found to be polyphyletic, resulting in changes in the placement. A 2008 study places the following species within this genus:

Extant species

Former taxonomic treatments have included:
If the first of these is included, it seems highly warranted to include in Sturnia also the monotypic genera Leucopsar and Fregilupus, and perhaps the enigmatic Necropsar. On the other hand, if these distinct genera are maintained, the white-faced starling would then receive its own genus, Sturnornis.
The other two would better be dealt with by resurrecting Agropsar, either as a distinct genus or as a subgenus of Gracupica, which otherwise includes the black-collared starling and pied myna ; these four form a robust and ancient group of two sister species that is perhaps even closer to the wattled starling than to the actual genus Sturnus. Their similarity to Sturnia proper is probably simply a symplesiomorphy.