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. Due to mass collection for the illegal wildlife trade, "jalla" is now feared to be extinct in the wild.