Sturnidae / ムクドリ科 (Muku-dori ka)

椋鸟科 Liáng-niǎo kē * 八哥科 Bā-gē kē * 찌르레기과 Jjireuregi-gwa

General names

Information is based on dictionaries and other sources. Species list may not be current. Comments and corrections welcome.

The starlings are known in Japanese as ムクドリ muku-dori (muku birds, written 椋鳥). The name is said to come from their habit of eating the fruit of the muku tree (椋の木), Aphananthe aspera, a tall tree related to the elms. Unqualified, the name ムクドリ muku-dori refers to Sturnus cineraceus, the Grey Starling.

The mynahs are known as ハッカチョウ hakka-chō (hakka bird) or ハッカ hakka. These terms are from the 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 better known to ornithologists than the general public.

Although not native to Japan, the Southern grackle or Hill mynah (Gracula religiosa) is well known to the Japanese as the キュウカンチョウ kyūkan-chō, written 九官鳥. The name reflects 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

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STURNINAE
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN
JAPANESE
CHINESE
KOREAN
Latin
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru
Japanese
Other J
Chinese
Chinese (Taiwan)
Other Ch
Korean
Acridotheres              
Acridotheres cristatellus
link to photo		 Crested myna
Chinese jungle mynah
Martin huppé
Haubenmaina		 ハッカチョウ
(八哥鳥)
hakka-chō
'hakka 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
bā-gē
'bage' ('eight big-brother', from shape of wing markings)		 八哥
bā-gē
'bage' ('eight big-brother', from shape of wing markings)		 鸲鹆 (鴝鵒)
qúyù
'quyu'
牛背鹩 (牛背鷯)
niú-bèi liáo
'ox-back liao' (cf liaoge below)
鹦鹆 (鸚鵒)
yīng-yù
'parrot yu'
寒皋 (寒皋)
hán-gào
'cold riverbank' (literal meaning)
华华 (華華)
huáhuá
'splendid splendid' (literal meaning)		  
Sturnus              
Sturnus sturninus
Sturnia sturnina
Agropsar sturninus
link to photo 		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 starling'		   北椋鸟 (北椋鳥)
běi liáng-niǎo
'northern starling'		 北椋鳥
běi liáng-niǎo
'northern starling'		   북방쇠찌르레기
bukbang-soe-jjireuregi
'northern small starling'
Sturnus philippensis
Sturnia philippensis
Agropsar philippensis
link to photolink to photo		 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 starling'		 Numerous local names - See Hiraizumi 紫背椋鸟 (紫背椋鳥)
zǐ-bèi liáng-niǎo
'purple-backed starling'		 小椋鳥
xiǎo liáng-niǎo
'small starling'		   쇠찌르레기
soe-jjireuregi
'small starling'
Sturnus sinensis
Sturnia sinensis
link to photo 		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 starling'		   灰背椋鸟 (灰背椋鳥)
huī-bèi liáng-niǎo
'grey-backed starling'		 灰背椋鳥
huī-bèi liáng-niǎo
'grey-backed starling'
噪林鳥
zào lín-niǎo
'noisy forest bird' (former official name) 		  잿빛쇠찌르레기
jaetbit-soe-jjireuregi
'ash-coloured small starling'
Sturnus sericeus
Spodiopsar sericeus
link to photo		 Red-billed starling
Silky starling
Étourneau soyeux
Seidenstar		 ギンムクドリ
(銀椋鳥)
gin muku-dori
'silver starling'		   丝光椋鸟 (絲光椋鳥)
sīguāng liáng-niǎo
'silk-light starling'		 絲光椋鳥
sīguāng liáng-niǎo
'silk-light starling'		   붉은부리찌르레기
bulgeun-buri-jjireuregi
'red-billed starling'
Sturnus cineraceus
Spodiopsar cineraceus
link to photolink to photo		 White-cheeked starling
Grey starling
Ashy starling
Étourneau gris
Graustar
Серый скворец		 ムクドリ
(椋鳥)
muku-dori
'starling'		 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 starling'		 灰椋鳥
huī liáng-niǎo
'grey starling'		 高梁头 (高粱頭)
gāo liáng tóu
'high rafter head'
管莲子 (管蓮子)
guǎn-liánzi
'guanlianzi (pipe lotus?)'
竹雀
zhú-què
'bamboo finch/sparrow'
假画眉 (假畫眉)
jiǎ huà-méi
'false hwamei'
杜丽雀 (杜麗雀)
dù lì-què
'cuckoo? beautiful finch/sparrow'		 찌르레기
jjireuregi
'starling'
Sturnus vulgaris
link to photo		 European starling
Common starling
Purple-winged starling
Étourneau sansonnet
Star
Обыкновенный скворец		 ホシムクドリ
(星椋鳥)
hoshi muku-dori
'starred starling'		   紫翅椋鸟 (紫翅椋鳥)
zǐ-chì liáng-niǎo
'purple-winged starling'		 歐洲椋鳥
Ōuzhōu liáng-niǎo
'European starling'		 欧椋鸟 (歐椋鳥)
Ōu liáng-niǎo
'European starling'
欧洲八哥 (歐洲八哥)
Ōuzhōu bā-gē
'European mynah'		 흰점찌르레기
huin-jeom-jjireuregi
'white-spotted starling'
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(Site uses UK spelling, e.g., "grey-coloured")