Phylogeny indicates a deep node between clade for Sturnidae and basal Rhabdornis clade in Zuccon, Dario; Cibois, Alice; Pasquet, Eric & Ericson, Per G.P. (2006): Nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data reveal the major lineages of starlings, mynas and related taxa. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 41(2): 333–344. Still, the placement of Rhabdornis within Sturnidae requires confirmation.