The family Sturnidae includes the starlings and mynas. Family members are collectively know as the starlings. The family also used to include the oxpeckers, but they now are thought to be rather distant relatives. Some starling species are good mimics, and the family is related to the mimidae family of mockingbirds. Starlings are small to medium sized. They are usually dark colored, often with a metallic sheen, but some have bright colors. Many species have very bright eyes. The starlings eat insects and fruit. They favor open spaces.


Genus Cinnyricinclus

Starling, Violet-backed  aka Amethyst Starling   Cinnyricinclus leucogaster  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - North Carolina Zoo   3) Carol Foil - Rift Valley, Kenya  4) Trisha Shears - Cincinnati Zoo
1 - 4) Male



Genus Cosmopsarus

Starling, Ashy Cosmopsarus unicolor   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Yoky - Tanzania  2) Dick Daniels - Tanzania


Starling, Golden-breasted  Cosmopsarus regius  Found: Africa
Photographed by:   1, 2) Dick Daniels - Birds of Eden, South Africa



Genus Creatophora - 1 species

Starling, Wattled Creatophora cinerea   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Carol Foil  - Rift Valley, Kenya   2, 3) Dick Daniels - Tazania.
2) Identified by Charlie Westerinen



Genus Lamprotornis
Glossy Starlings

Starling, Black-bellied Glossy-  Lamprotornis corruscus  Found: Africa
Photographed by Sandy Cole  - Birds of Eden, South Africa


Starling, Burchell's Glossy- Lamprotornis australis Found: Africa
Photographed by: Alastair Rae


Starling, Cape Glossy aka Brahminy Myna  aka Red-shouldered Glossy-starling  Lamprotornis nitens  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Arno Meintjes  3) Dick Daniels near Kruger National Park, South Africa
    4, 5, 6) Dick - Johannesburg, South Africa  



Starling, Hilderbrandt  Lamprotornis hildebrandti Found: Africa
Photographed by Dick Daniels - Tanzania


Starling, Iris Glossy-  aka  Emerald Starling   Lamprotornis iris  aka  Coccycolius iris  Found: west Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - North Carolina Zoo  3) Sandy Cole -North Carolina Zoo


Starling, Greater Blue-eared Glossy  Lamprotornis chalybaeus  Found: Africa
Photographed by:  1) Carol Foil - Kenya  2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - South Africa


Starling, Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-  Lamprotornis chloropterus  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Sue Robinson   2) Rennett Stowe


Starling, Purple Glossy- Lamprotornis purpureus  Found: Africa
Photographed by Dick Daniels - Birds of Eden, South Africa


Starling, Superb Lamprotornis superbus   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Birds of Eden, South Africa  3) Dick - Tanzania  
    2) Sandy Cole - Birds of Eden  4) Sandy - Tanzania


Starling, Ruppell's Longtail aka Ruppell's Glossy-starling Lamprotornis purpuroptera  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Yoky - Tanzania  2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Tanzania



Genus Onychognathus

Starling, Bristle-crowned  Onychognathus salvadorii  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3) Carol Foil - Buffalo Spring Reserve, Samburu District, Kenya


Starling, Pale-winged  Onychognathus nabouroup  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Hans Hillewaert - Namibia


Starling, Red-winged  Onychognathus morio  Found: Africa
Photographed by:   1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8) Dick Daniels - South Africa   6) Sandy Cole - South Africa 
1, 2, 3) Female  4 - 7) Male




Genus Spreo
Sometimes included in genus Lamprotornis.

Starling, Pied   Spreo bicolor  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Brian Ralphs - Addo National Park in the Eastern Province of South Africa
    3, 4) Dick Daniels - Oudtshoorn, South Africa



Genus Sturnus

Starling, European aka Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris   Native: Europe, Asia Introduced: North America, Africa, Australasia.
Photographed by Dick Daniels in:  1, 2) North Carolina    3) Capetown, South Africa  4) Scotland
4) Adult and juvenile

Genus Acridotheres

Myna, Common Acridotheres tristis   Native to Asia.  Also found: North America, Africa, Australasia
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Nepal  2) Dick - Hawaii   3)  Dick - Johannesburg, South Africa  4, 5, 6) Dick - Australia








The ocpeckers were previously considered part of the starling family.


Genus Buphagus

Oxpecker, Red-billed Buphagus erythrorhynchus   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve in South Africa  2, 3) Arno Meintjes


Oxpecker, Yellow-billed Buphagus africanus   Found: Africa
Photographed by:  1) Arno Meintjes  2) Dick Daniels - Tanzania