Sturnidae
ムクドリ科
muku-dori ka

General

Information is from dictionaries and other sources. Species list may not be current. Korean glosses are tentative. Comments and corrections welcome. Hover over Green Lettering Green lettering at this site hides a tool tip with glosses, further explanations, etc. Hover cursor to reveal. to see additional information.

The Sturnidae in Japanese are divided into two groups which largely match the division between starlings and mynas in English.

1. The starlings are known in Japanese as ムクドリ muku-dori 'muku birds', written 椋鳥. Unqualified, the name ムクドリ muku-dori refers to Sturnus cineraceus, the White-cheeked Starling. The name comes from this species' habit of eating the sweet fruit of the muku tree (椋の木 muku-no-ki), Aphananthe aspera, helping spread the tree's seeds.

The name 椋鳥 has been adopted without change into Chinese, although the character 椋 is normally used for a different kind of plant in China, Cornus macrophylla (Large-leafed Dogwood, Japanese クマノムズキ kumano-mizuki).

2. The mynas are known as ハッカチョウ hakka-chō 'hakka bird' or ハッカ hakka. These words originate in Chinese 八哥 bā-gē and are written 八哥鳥 hakka-chō or 八哥 hakka in Chinese characters. The name ハッカチョウ hakka-chō is probably better known to ornithologists than the general public.

3. The extralimital Hill Myna or Southern Grackle (Gracula religiosa), which is the most common cage bird among the mynas, is well known to the Japanese as the キュウカンチョウ kyūkan-chō, written 九官鳥 'ninth-rank bird'. The name is onomatopoeic reflecting the bird's call. (The characters 九官 kyūkan can mean 'ninth rank'. According to one explanation, this came about because the bird was considered to come below the eight ranks of the ancient Chinese bureaucracy but above ordinary commoners).

Species names

STURNINAE
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN		JAPANESE		CHINESE			KOREAN
Sturnus
Latin	Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru	Japanese	Other J	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Korean
Sturnus vulgaris	Common Starling or European Starling Purple-winged starling Étourneau sansonnet Star Обыкновенный скворец	ホシムクドリ (星椋鳥) hoshi muku-dori 'starred muku-bird'		紫翅椋鸟 (紫翅椋鳥) zǐ-chì liáng-niǎo 'purple-winged dogwood-bird'	(欧洲椋鸟) 歐洲椋鳥 ōuzhōu liáng-niǎo 'European dogwood-bird'	欧椋鸟 (歐椋鳥) ōu liáng-niǎo 'European dogwood-bird' 欧洲八哥 (歐洲八哥) ōuzhōu bā-gē 'European myna' 亚洲椋鸟 (亞洲椋鳥) yà-zhōu liáng-niǎo 'Asian dogwood-bird' (35, from Zool. Nomen.) 紫翅椋鸟 (紫翅椋鳥) zǐ-chì liáng-niǎo 'purple-winged dogwood-bird' (early ornithological) (35)	흰점찌르레기 huin-jeom-jjireuregi 'white-spotted starling'
Agropsar
Latin	Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru	Japanese	Other J	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Korean
Agropsar sturninus Sturnus sturninus Sturnia sturnina	Purple-backed starling or Daurian starling Étourneau de Daourie Mongolenstar Малый cкворец	シベリアムクドリ (シベリア椋鳥) shiberia muku-dori 'Siberian muku-bird'		北椋鸟 (北椋鳥) běi liáng-niǎo 'northern dogwood-bird'	(北椋鸟) 北椋鳥 běi liáng-niǎo 'northern dogwood-bird'	道瑞恩小椋鸟 (道瑞恩小椋鳥) dào-ruì-ēn xiǎo liáng-niǎo 'Daurian small dogwood-bird' ' (early ornithological) (35)	북방쇠찌르레기 bukbang-soe-jjireuregi 'northern small starling'
Agropsar philippensis Sturnus philippensis Sturnia philippensis	Chestnut-cheeked starling Violet-backed starling Étourneau à joues marron Violettrückenstar Японский скворец	コムクドリ (小椋鳥) ko muku-dori 'small muku-bird'	Numerous local names - See Hiraizumi	紫背椋鸟 (紫背椋鳥) zǐ-bèi liáng-niǎo 'purple-backed dogwood-bird'	(小椋鸟) 小椋鳥 xiǎo liáng-niǎo 'small dogwood-bird'	黑脖椋鸟 (黑脖椋鳥) hēi-bó liáng-niǎo 'black-collared dogwood-bird' ' (early ornithological) (35)	쇠찌르레기 soe-jjireuregi 'small starling'
Sturnia
Latin	Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru	Japanese	Other J	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Korean
Sturnia sinensis Sturnus sinensis	White-shouldered starling Chinese starling Grey-backed starling Étourneau mandarin Mandarinstar Серый скворец	カラムクドリ (唐椋鳥) kara muku-dori 'Chinese muku-bird'		灰背椋鸟 (灰背椋鳥) huī-bèi liáng-niǎo 'grey-backed dogwood-bird'	(灰背椋鸟) 灰背椋鳥 huī-bèi liáng-niǎo 'grey-backed dogwood-bird'	Taiwan formerly: 噪林鸟 (噪林鳥) zào lín-niǎo 'noisy forest bird' 中国小椋鸟 (中國小椋鳥) zhōng-guó xiǎo liáng-niǎo 'Chinese small dogwood-bird' ' (early ornithological) (35)	잿빛쇠찌르레기 jaetbit-soe-jjireuregi 'ash-coloured small starling'
Spodiopsar
Latin	Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru	Japanese	Other J	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Korean
Spodiopsar sericeus Sturnus sericeus	Red-billed starling Silky starling Étourneau soyeux Seidenstar	ギンムクドリ (銀椋鳥) gin muku-dori 'silver muku-bird'		丝光椋鸟 (絲光椋鳥) sīguāng liáng-niǎo 'silk-light dogwood-bird'	(丝光椋鸟) 絲光椋鳥 sīguāng liáng-niǎo 'silk-light dogwood-bird'	丝毛椋鸟 (絲毛椋鳥) sī-máo liáng-niǎo 'silk-feathered dogwood-bird' ' (early ornithological) (35)	붉은부리찌르레기 bulgeun-buri-jjireuregi 'red-billed starling'
Spodiopsar cineraceus Sturnus cineraceus	White-cheeked starling Grey starling Ashy starling Étourneau gris Graustar Серый скворец	ムクドリ (椋鳥) muku-dori 'muku-bird'	ハクトウオウ (白頭翁) hakutō-ō 'white-haired grandfather' Numerous local names - See Hiraizumi	灰椋鸟 (灰椋鳥) huī liáng-niǎo 'grey dogwood-bird'	(灰椋鸟) 灰椋鳥 huī liáng-niǎo 'grey dogwood-bird'	高梁头 (高粱頭) gāo liáng tóu 'gaoliang head' 管莲子 (管蓮子) guǎn-liánzi 'guanlianzi (pipe lotus?)' (southern) (35) 竹雀 (竹雀) zhú-què 'bamboo sparrow' 假画眉 (假畫眉) jiǎ huà-méi 'false hwamei' 杜丽雀 (杜麗雀) dù lì-què 'cuckoo? beautiful sparrow' 灰椋鸟 (灰椋鳥) huī liáng-niǎo 'grey dogwood-bird' (early ornithological) (35)	찌르레기 jjireuregi 'starling'
Acridotheres
Latin	Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru	Japanese	Other J	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Korean
Acridotheres cristatellus	Crested myna Chinese jungle myna Martin huppé Haubenmaina	ハッカチョウ (八哥鳥) hakka-chō 'myna bird' (from Chinese)	ハハチョウ (叭叭鳥） haha-chō 'haha bird' カーレン (加令) kāren karen, probably from Chinese (Taiwanese subspecies) コキュウカンチョウ (小九官鳥) ko kyūkan-chō 'small nine-rank bird'	八哥 (八哥) bā-gē 'myna'	(八哥) 八哥 bā-gē 'myna'	鸲鹆 (鴝鵒) qúyù 'quyu' 牛背鹩 (牛背鷯) niú-bèi liáo 'ox-back liao' (cf liaoge) 鹦鹆 (鸚鵒) yīng-yù 'parrot myna' (35, from Zool. Nomen.) 寒皋 (寒皋) hán-gào 'cold riverbank' (literal meaning) 华华 (華華) huáhuá 'splendid splendid' (literal meaning) 八哥 (八哥) bā-gē 'myna' (general) (35)

The characters 九官鳥 kyūkan-chō mean 'nine-rank bird'. The explanation is that the bird ranks after the eight Chinese bureaucratic ranks but ahead of ordinary commoners in intelligence.

八哥 bā-gē literally means 'eight big brother', which supposedly refers to white patches on the underside of the wings of Acridotheres cristatellus, the Chinese Jungle Myna, which resemble the character 八 bā 'eight' when the bird is in flight. The name has been generalised as the Chinese name for the mynas and has also been borrowed into Japanese as ハッカ hakka (八哥).

中国鸟类种和亚种分类名录大全（修订版） 郑作新 著 科学出版社 北京 2000年
A Complete Checklist of Species and Subspecies of the Chinese Birds (Revised Edition) by Cheng Tso-Hsin, Science Press, Beijing 2000

中国鸟类分类与分布名录 主编：郑光美 科学出版社 北京 2005年
A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of China Chief editor: Zheng Guangmei, Science Press, Beijing 2005

中国鸟类野外手册（中文版）约翰・马敬能、卡伦・菲利普斯，合作者：荷芬奇，翻译：卢和芬 湖南教育出版社 长沙 2000年
A Field Guide to the Birds of China (Chinese translation) by John MacKinnon, Karen Phillipps, in collaboration with He Fen-qi, translated by Lu Hefen, Hunan Jiaoyu Chubanshe (Hunan Educational Press) Changsha 2000

世界鸟类分类与分布名录 主编：郑光美 科学出版社 北京 2002年
A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of the World Chief editor: Zheng Guangmei, Science Press, Beijing 2002

世界鸟类名称（拉丁文、汉文、英文对照）第二版 郑作新等 科学出版社 北京 2002年
Birds of the World (Latin, Chinese and English Names) 2nd ed. by Cheng Tso-Hsin et al, Science Press, Beijing 2002

Chinese Birds (A Tentative List of Chinese Birds) 中國鳥類（中國鳥類目錄試編） N. Gist Gee, Lacy I. Moffett, G. D. Wilder (祁天錫, 慕維德, 萬卓志), Peiping, 1927 (reprinted 1948)