 The starling family , Sturnidae , is an entirely Old World group apart from introductions elsewhere , with the greatest numbers of species in Southeast Asia and sub @-@ Saharan Africa . The genus Sturnus is polyphyletic and relationships between its members are not fully resolved . The closest relation of the common starling is the spotless starling . The non @-@ migratory spotless starling may be descended from a population of ancestral S. vulgaris that survived in an Iberian refugium during an ice age retreat , and mitochondrial gene studies suggest that it could be considered as a subspecies of the common starling . There is more genetic variation between common starling populations than between nominate common starling and spotless starling . Although common starling remains are known from the Middle Pleistocene , part of the problem in resolving relationships in the Sturnidae is the paucity of the fossil record for the family as a whole . 
 The starling family , Sturnidae , <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>an entirely Old World group apart from introductions elsewhere , with the greatest numbers of species in Southeast Asia and sub @-@ Saharan Africa . The genus Sturnus <a href='drop_aux' title='2'><mark>is</mark></a>polyphyletic and relationships between its members are not fully resolved . The closest relation of the common starling <a href='drop_aux' title='3'><mark>is</mark></a>the spotless starling . The non @-@ migratory spotless starling may be descended from a population of ancestral S. vulgaris <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>that</mark></a>survived in an Iberian refugium during an ice age retreat , and mitochondrial gene studies suggest that it could be considered as a subspecies of the common starling . <a href='dey_it' title='5'><mark>There</mark></a> is more genetic variation between common starling populations than between nominate common starling and spotless starling . Although common starling remains are known from the Middle Pleistocene , part of the problem in resolving relationships in the Sturnidae is the paucity of the fossil record for the family as a whole . 
Da starling family , Sturnidae , an entirely Old World group apart from introductions elsewhere , with tdagreatest numbers of species in Southeast Asia and sub @-@ Saharan Africa . Thdaenus Sturnus polyphyletic and relationships between its members ain't fully resolved . The closest relation of the common starling the spotless starling . Thedan @-@ migratory spotless starling may be descended from a population of ancestral S. vulgaris survived in an Iberian refugium during an ice age retreat , and mitochondrial gene studies suggest dat it could b considered as a subspecies of the common starling . It is more genetic variation between common starling populations than between nominate common starling and spotless starling . Although common starling remains are known from the dadle Pleistocene , part of the pdalem in resolving relationships in the Sturnidae is the padaty of the fossil record fa the fam as a whole .