Bird Album
Brahminy Starling
Sturnia pagodarum (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
≈19 cmLength49 gWeight
It has a cream-colored body and a tufted crest on a black crown.
Busiest months: February · Most records: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal
How to identify
Field marks
- Black crown with a loose crest
- Pale yellowish-brown body, almost cream-colored
- Yellow bill; blue-tinged base of the bill
- Blue bare skin around the eye
Male, female and young
The male has a more prominent crest and longer neck feathers; juveniles are duller, with a brownish crown.
Voice
Its vocalization is prolonged, with several slurred notes joined together before an abrupt ending.
Where and when it's recorded
Brahminy Starling has been recorded at 256 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 14 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Bharatpur – Keoladeo Ghana NPIndia3,983 records
- Mysore City Bird Atlas 30B, Srirampura 2nd StageIndia1,037 records
- Bhondsi Nature ParkIndia960 records
More places
- Manjeera Wildlife SanctuaryIndia874 records
- Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation ReserveIndia714 records
- LIG 1219 Sector-8 Saddu, Raipur ChhattisgarhIndia681 records
- Ankasamudra Bird SanctuaryIndia638 records
- Thol Bird SanctuaryIndia628 records
- Gudhiyari Wetlands, RaipurIndia618 records
- Bhusawal Thermal Power Station (BTPS) – Ganesh Mandir & EM Building AreaIndia599 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The brahminy starling or brahminy myna (Sturnia pagodarum) is a member of the starling family of birds. It is usually seen in pairs or small flocks in open habitats on the plains of the Indian subcontinent.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Brahminy Starling?
The Brahminy Starling is about ≈19 cm long and weighs around 49 g.
Where does the Brahminy Starling live?
Its breeding range: Oriental: eastern Afghanistan to Bangladesh. It is most often recorded in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
When is the best time to see the Brahminy Starling?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Brahminy Starling endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Brahminy Starling as Least Concern.
What does the Brahminy Starling eat?
Main food: Omnivore.
What family is the Brahminy Starling in?
It belongs to the family Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- ≈19 cm
- Weight
- 49 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 100 mm
- Tail
- 62 mm
- Bill
- 20 mm
- Tarsus
- 27 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Oriental: eastern Afghanistan to Bangladesh
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Starlings, Rhabdornises Sturnidae
- Genus
- Sturnia
Other birds in the genus Sturnia
White-shouldered StarlingSturnia sinensis
Chestnut-tailed StarlingSturnia malabarica
White-headed StarlingSturnia erythropygia
Malabar StarlingSturnia blythii
Metallic StarlingAplonis metallica
Yellow-eyed StarlingAplonis mystacea
Singing StarlingAplonis cantoroides
Tanimbar StarlingAplonis crassa
Atoll StarlingAplonis feadensis
Rennell StarlingAplonis insularis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Carlos N. G. Bocos. ↗
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