Sturnidae

The Sturnidae in the CJV countries are represented by the starlings (Sturnus) and the mynahs, the latter being famous for their ability to imitate human speech. Vietnam is also home to a member of Aplonis (glossy starlings).

Chinese:

In Chinese, starlings are known as 椋鸟 liáng-niǎo. The name appears to have been borrowed from Japanese (see below). The most common starling in China is Sturnus cineraceus (Grey starling), for which there are a number of native Chinese names.

The mynahs are called 八哥 bā-gē ('eight big-brother'). Unqualified, 八哥 bā-gē refers to Acridotheres cristatellus, the Chinese jungle mynah, which occurs widely over southern China. The name 八哥 bā-gē is derived from white patches on the wings of A. cristatellus, which look like the letter 八 bā ('eight') in flight. An older, more traditional or literary name is 鸲鹆 qúyù.

The Southern grackle or Hill mynah (Gracula religiosa) is known as the 鹩哥 liáo-gē. The alternative name of 秦吉了 qín-jí-liǎo is said to derive from the bird's origin in the Qín region, i.e., Shaanxi province. There can be confusion between 八哥 bā-gē and 鹩哥 liáo-gē ; the distinction in normal language is not necessarily as clear as ornithologists suggest.

Japanese:

The starlings are known in Japanese as ムクドリ muku-dori (muku birds, written 椋鳥) from their habit of eating the fruit of the 椋 muku tree, a tall tree related to the elms. (The name appears to have been borrowed from Japanese into Chinese. The character 椋, pronounced liáng, is actually used for a different tree in Chinese, one which does not appear to be related to the eating habits of the 椋鸟 liáng-niǎo.) 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 or 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. (九官 kyūkan means 'nine ranks'. According to one explanation, this came about because the bird was considered to come below the eight ranks in the ancient Chinese bureaucracy but above ordinary commoners).

Vietnamese:

The word Sáo is a general term in Vietnamese that covers most of the starlings and mynahs and similar-looking birds (naturalists have also applied it to some members of the Zoothera -- see thrushes). In popular usage, Sáo đá (stone sao) refers to the Common starling and the Southern Grackle.

Naturalists use the following naming for the Sturnidae :

Most of the genus Sturnus are known as Sáo đá (stone sao).

Two of the Sturnus are known as Sáo sậu : S. nigricollis (Black-collared starling) and S. burmannicus. S. nigricollis is also known as Cà cưỡng.

The mynahs and the Philippine glossy starling (Aplonis panayensis) also use the name Sáo.

The Southern grackle or Hill mynah is known as the Yểng, with the alternative name Nhồng.