Starlings, Rhabdornis

Starlings, belonging to the family Sturnidae, are small to medium-sized birds recognized for their strong flight, gregarious nature, and diverse vocal abilities that can mimic sounds like car alarms and even human speech. The common starlings in Europe and North America and the common mynas in Asia and the Pacific are well-known to many people in these regions. These birds, native across Europe, Asia, Africa, northern Australia, and Pacific islands, have become invasive in North America and other introduced regions, often outcompeting local bird species. Starlings prefer open environments and consume a diet mainly composed of insects and fruit, often feeding by a method called "open-bill probing." These birds are visually striking, frequently displaying dark plumage with a metallic sheen, and many species nest in holes, laying blue or white eggs. The family exhibits a striking variety in size and coloration, with the lightest species being Abbott's starling at 34 grams and the largest potentially being the Nias hill myna which can reach 400 grams in captivity. Plumage can have structural colors without pigmentation, and some species sport unique features like crests or elongated tail feathers. Most starlings are social, forming large roosts, and a few are proficient mimics with extensive repertoires. They have adapted to various habitats, barring the driest deserts, and display a mix of migratory and resident behaviors. Starlings belong to the superfamily Muscicapoidea, which includes thrushes, flycatchers, and the Mimidae family found in the Americas. The family Sturnidae likely emerged in East Asia or the southwestern Pacific, and the group has since diversified broadly with numerous lineages in Asia-Pacific and Africa. Notably, some treecreeper-like species found in the Philippines may belong to this family. Despite their varied taxonomy, the Oriental-Australasian and Afrotropical-Palearctic clades remain prominent divisions within the starling family, with a wide array of genera and species reflecting the family's diversity and broad distribution.