page_title: Pied myna
section_title: Taxonomy
hierarchical_section_title: Pied myna / Taxonomy
caption_attribution_description: 1. (top) Sturnopastor contra (L.) = Gracupica contra contra (Linnaeus, 1758) 2. (center) Sturnopastor superciliaris Blyth = Gracupica contra superciliaris (Blyth, 1863) 3. (bottom) Sturnopastor jalla (Horsf.) = Gracupica contra jalla (Horsfield, 1821) English: Asian Pied Starling
context_page_description: The pied myna or Asian pied starling is a species of starling found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are usually found in small groups mainly on the plains and low foothills. They are often seen within cities and villages although they are not as bold as the common myna. They produce a range of calls made up of liquid notes. Several slight plumage variations exist in the populations and about five subspecies are named.
context_section_description: The species has been included in the genus Sturnus and Sturnopastor in the past but recent studies do not support its inclusion within Sturnus leading to the reinstatement of an older genus name Gracupica. It has been claimed that the species name "contra" is derived from an Indian name for it, although this has not been traced subsequently.
  The nominate subspecies (based on the species description given by Linnaeus in 1758) is found mainly along the Gangetic plains extending south into Andhra Pradesh and east to Bangladesh. The population in northeastern India (Sadiya to Tirap and the Naga Hills) was named as sordida (originally Sturnus contra sordidus) by Sidney Dillon Ripley in 1950. This form differs from the Indian form in having reduced streaking on the shoulders and nape. The populations in Manipur south to Myanmar and east to Yunnan have the white extending over the eye and are included in the subspecies superciliaris first described by Edward Blyth in 1863. The subspecies in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia is included in floweri ( Sharpe, 1897) while jalla described by Horsfield in 1821 is found on Sumatra, Java and Bali.
caption: Heads of subspecies G. c. contra (top), G. c. superciliaris (middle), and G. c. jalla (bottom); illustration by Joseph Smit, 1890
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