Placed in the monotypic genus Leucopsar, it appears to be most closely related to Sturnia and the Brahminy Starling which is currently placed in Sturnus but will probably soon be split therefrom as Sturnus as presently delimited is highly paraphyletic.
This resident population has a white head and is often treated as a full species, the Malabar Starling (Sturnia blythii).