Spodiopsar is a genus of Asian birds in the family Sturnidae.
Spodiopsar | |
---|---|
Red-billed starling (Spodiopsar sericeus ) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Sturnidae |
Genus: | Spodiopsar Sharpe, 1889 |
Type species | |
Sturnus sericeus[1] J.F. Gmelin, 1789 |
Taxonomy
The genus Spodiopsar was introduced in 1889 by the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe. The name was to replace Poliopsar, introduced by Sharpe in 1888, which was preoccupied by Poliopsar Cassin, 1867.[2][3][4] Sharpe subsequently designated the type species as Sturnus sericeus J.F. Gmelin, 1789, the red-billed starling.[4][5] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek spodios meaning "ash-coloured" and psar meaning "starling".[6]
The genus contains two species.[7]
Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Spodiopsar sericeus | Red-billed starling | south and southeastern China | |
Spodiopsar cineraceus | White-cheeked starling | central and north-east India, China, Korea, Japan and south-east Siberia |