Starling (Family Sturnidae)

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family
Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for
starling, sturnus. Starlings occur naturally in the Old World, from
Europe, Asia and Africa, to northern Australia and the islands of the
tropical Pacific. Several European and Asian species have been
introduced to these areas as well as North America, Hawaii and
New Zealand, where they generally compete for habitat with native
birds and are considered to be invasive species. The starling species
familiar to most people in Europe and North America is the European
starling.

The starlings are medium sized passerines. The shortest-bodied
species is Kenrick's starling (Poeoptera kenricki), at 15 centimetres
(6 in.), but the lightest weight species is Abbott's starling (Poeoptera
femoralis), at 34 grams (1.2 oz). The largest starlings are the mynas
of the genus Mino, especially the yellowfaced (Mino dumontii) and
longtailed mynas (Mino kreffti). These mynas can exceed 30
centimetres (1 ft) and weigh over 225 grams (8 oz).

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