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). |
1. General names
Chinese:
In Chinese, starlings are known as 椋鸟 . 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 ('eight big-brother'). Unqualified, 八哥 refers to Acridotheres cristatellus, the Chinese Jungle Mynah, which occurs widely over southern China. The name 八哥 is derived from white patches on the wings of A. cristatellus, which look like the letter 八 ('eight') in flight. An older, more traditional or literary name is 鸲鹆 .
The Southern grackle or Hill mynah (Gracula religiosa) is known as the 鹩哥 . The alternative name of 秦吉了 is said to derive from the bird's origin in the region, i.e., Shaanxi province. There can be confusion between 八哥 and 鹩哥 ; 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 , 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 .) 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 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. (The characters 九官 kyūkan 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).
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.
2. Species names
| STURNINAE | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH |
CHINESE |
JAPANESE |
VIETNAMESE |
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Latin |
English |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Vietnamese |
Other V |
| Aplonis | ||||||||
Aplonis panayensis |
Asian glossy starling Asian glossy-starling Philippine glossy starling |
亚洲辉椋鸟 'Asian shining starling' (4) 辉椋鸟 'shining starling' (5) |
輝椋鳥 'shining starling' (introduced) |
ミドリカラスモドキ (緑烏擬き) midori karasu-modoki 'green pseudo crow' |
Sáo xanh 'green sao' |
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| Saroglossa | ||||||||
| Saroglossa spiloptera Lamprotornis spilopterus |
Spot-winged starling | 斑翅八哥 'spot/strip winged bage' (4) 点翅八哥 'spot winged bage' (5) |
チャノドムクドリ (茶喉椋鳥) cha-nodo muku-dori 'brown-throated starling' |
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| Ampeliceps | ||||||||
| Ampeliceps coronatus |
Golden-crested myna (Cheng) Gold-crested mynah |
金冠树八哥 'golden-crested tree bage' |
キガシラムクドリ (黄頭椋鳥) ki-gashira muku-dori 'yellow-headed starling' |
Sáo vàng 'golden sao' |
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| Gracula | ||||||||
| Gracula religiosa |
Hill myna Southern grackle Grackle (Cheng) Indian grackle |
鹩哥 'liaoge' |
秦吉了 'Qin jiliao' ( area is Shaanxi prov.) 情急了 'impatient' (folk etymology of the above?) 八哥 'bage' 了哥 'liaoge' (variation on ) 九官鸟 'nine-rank bird' (possibly from Japanese) |
キュウカンチョウ (九官鳥) kyūkan-chō 'nine-rank bird' (one theory : the bird comes after the eight Chinese bureaucratic ranks but ahead of ordinary commoners in intelligence) |
シンキツリョウ (秦吉了) shin-kitsu-ryō from Chinese qinjiliao |
Nhồng 'nhong' or Yểng 'yeng' |
Sáo đá 'stone thrush' (generally used for the Common starling and the Hill myna) Chim bạch đầu ông 'white-headed grandfather bird' (from V-E dictionary - not confirmed) |
|
| Acridotheres | ||||||||
Acridotheres grandis Note |
Great myna White-vented myna Great mynah Jungle myna (Cheng) |
林八哥 'forest bage' (1, 2, 3, 4) 丛八哥 'jungle bage' (5) Note |
オオハッカ (大八哥) ō hakka 'large hakka' |
Sáo mỏ vàng 'golden-billed sao' Note |
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| Acridotheres cristatellus |
Crested myna (Cheng) Chinese jungle mynah |
八哥 'bage' ('eight big-brother', from shape of wing markings) |
八哥 'bage' ('eight big-brother', from shape of wing markings) |
鸲鹆 'quyu' 牛背鹩 'ox-back liao' (cf liaoge below) 鹦鹆 'parrot yu' 寒皋 'cold riverbank' (literal meaning) 华华 'splendid splendid' (literal meaning) |
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' (see Gracula religiosa below) |
Sáo đen 'black sao' or Sáo mỏ ngà 'ivory-billed sao' |
|
| Acridotheres javanicus | White-vented myna Javan myna |
爪哇八哥 'white-collared bage' (4) |
白尾八哥 'white-tailed bage' (introduced) |
-- | ||||
| Acridotheres fuscus | Jungle myna Indian jungle mynah |
丛林八哥 'jungle bage' (4) 林八哥 'forest bage' (5) Note |
林八哥 'forest bage' (introduced) |
モリハッカ (森八哥) mori hakka 'forest hakka' |
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| Acridotheres albocinctus |
Collared myna (Cheng) White-collared mynah |
白领八哥 'white-collared bage' |
シロエリハッカ (白襟八哥) shiro-eri hakka 'white-collared hakka' |
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| Acridotheres tristis |
Common myna Common mynah House myna (Cheng) |
家八哥 'house bage' |
家八哥 'house bage' (introduced) |
カバイロハッカ (樺色八哥) kaba-iro hakka 'birch-coloured hakka'(=reddish yellow/yellowish brown colour) |
Sáo nâu 'brown sao' |
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| Acridotheres melanopterus Sturnus melanopterus |
Black-winged myna Black-winged starling |
黑翅椋鸟 'black-winged starling' |
ソデグロムクドリ (袖黒椋鳥) sode-guro muku-dori 'black-sleeved starling' |
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| Sturnus | ||||||||
| Sturnus burmannicus Acridotheres burmannicus |
Vinous-breasted starling Jerdon's starling (Cheng) |
红嘴椋鸟 'red-billed starling' |
シロガシラムクドリ (白頭椋鳥) shiro-gashira muku-dori 'white-headed starling' |
Sáo sậu đầu trắng 'white-headed sao sau' |
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| Sturnus nigricollis Gracupica nigricollis |
Black-collared starling (Cheng) Black-necked starling |
黑领椋鸟 'black-collared starling' |
黑領椋鳥 'black-collared starling' |
クビワムクドリ (首輪椋鳥) kubi-wa muku-dori 'ring-necked starling' |
Sáo sậu 'sao sau' Cà cưỡng 'ca cuong' (Alternative in 13) |
Cưỡng 'cuong' (Northern dialects) Cà cưởng 'ca cuong' (Southern dialects) Cà cượng 'ca cuong' (Central dialects) |
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| Sturnus contra Gracupica contra |
Asian pied starling Pied starling (Cheng) |
斑椋鸟 'spotted/striped starling' |
ホオジロムクドリ (頬白椋鳥) hō-jiro muku-dori 'white-cheeked starling' |
Sáo đá Á châu 'Asian stone sao' Sáo đá Châu Á 'Asian stone sao' (13) |
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| Sturnus sturninus Sturnia sturnina Agropsar sturninus |
Purple-backed starling or Daurian starling (Cheng) |
北椋鸟 'northern starling' |
北椋鳥 'northern starling' |
シベリアムクドリ (シベリア椋鳥) Shiberia muku-dori 'Siberian starling' |
Sáo đá lưng đen 'black-backed stone sao' |
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| Sturnus philippensis Sturnia philippensis Agropsar philippensis |
Chestnut-cheeked starling Violet-backed starling (Cheng) |
紫背椋鸟 'purple-backed starling' |
小椋鳥 'small starling' |
コムクドリ (小椋鳥) ko muku-dori 'small starling' |
Numerous local names - See Hiraizumi | |||
| Sturnus sinensis Sturnia sinensis |
White-shouldered starling Chinese starling Grey-backed starling (Cheng) |
灰背椋鸟 'grey-backed starling' |
灰背椋鳥 'grey-backed starling' 噪林鳥 'noisy forest bird' (former official name) |
カラムクドリ (唐椋鳥) kara muku-dori 'Chinese starling' |
Sáo đá Trung Quốc 'Chinese stone sao' |
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| Sturnus malabaricus Sturnia malabarica |
Chestnut-tailed starling Ashy-headed starling Grey-headed starling (Cheng) |
灰头椋鸟 'grey-headed starling' |
灰頭椋鳥 'grey-headed starling' (introduced) |
インドコムクドリ (インド小椋鳥) Indo ko muku-dori 'Indian small starling' |
Sáo đá đuôi hung 'reddish-tailed stone sao' |
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| Sturnus pagodarum Temenuchus pagodarum |
Brahminy starling (Cheng) Black-headed starling |
黑冠椋鸟 'black-crested starling' |
ズグロムクドリ (頭黒椋鳥) zu-guro muku-dori 'black-headed starling' |
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| Sturnus roseus Pastor roseus |
Rosy starling Rose-coloured starling (Cheng) |
粉红椋鸟 'pink starling' |
粉紅椋鳥 'pink starling' |
バライロムクドリ (薔薇色椋鳥) bara-iro muku-dori 'rose-coloured starling' |
Sáo hồng 'rosy sao' (13) Not found in 12 |
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| Sturnus sericeus Spodiopsar sericeus |
Red-billed starling Silky starling (Cheng) |
丝光椋鸟 'silk-light starling' |
絲光椋鳥 'silk-light starling' |
ギンムクドリ (銀椋鳥) gin muku-dori 'silver starling' |
Sáo đá đầu trắng 'white-headed stone sao' |
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Latin |
English |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Vietnamese |
Other V |
| Sturnus cineraceus Spodiopsar cineraceus |
White-cheeked starling Grey starling Ashy starling (Cheng) |
灰椋鸟 'grey starling' |
灰椋鳥 'grey starling' |
高梁头 'high rafter head' 管莲子 'guanlianzi (pipe lotus?)' 竹雀 'bamboo finch/sparrow' 假画眉 'false hwamei' 杜丽雀 'cuckoo? beautiful finch/sparrow' |
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 |
Sáo đá má trắng 'white-cheeked stone sao' |
|
| Sturnus vulgaris |
European starling Common starling Purple-winged starling (Cheng) |
紫翅椋鸟 'purple-winged starling' |
歐洲椋鳥 'European starling' |
欧椋鸟 'European starling' 欧洲八哥 'European mynah' |
ホシムクドリ (星椋鳥) hoshi muku-dori 'starred starling' |
Sáo đá xanh 'green stone sao' |
Sáo đá 'stone sao' (also applies to the Southern grackle) |
|
| Latin |
English |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Vietnamese |
Other V |
3. Notes
1. The treatment of Acridotheres is confused. For detailed information on distinctions among species, see this Chinese (traditional) site on the Question of the Mynas.
2. The Japanese alternative name for S. cineraceus, ハクトウオウ hakutō-ō, written 白頭翁, should not be confused with the Chinese bird 白头翁 , written with the same characters. 白头翁 refers to Pycnonotus sinensis, the Chinese bulbul.
