The Pied Starling is restricted to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, but within this region it occupies a variety of habitats. Its modern distribution is certainly influenced by its association with man. However, a comparison with other vertebrate species, and with patterns of plant distribution, suggests that its geographical distribution has been determined primarily by its evolutionary history. A hypothesis for the origin of this species leads to several predictions concerning biogeography in southern Africa.