The myna (;
also spelled mynah) is a
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
of the
starling
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The Sturnidae are named for the genus ''Sturnus'', which in turn comes from the Latin word for starling, ''sturnus''. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, ...
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
(Sturnidae). This is a group of
passerine
A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...
birds which are native to southern
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, especially
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
and
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
. Several species have been introduced to areas like
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
,
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, especially the
common myna, which is often regarded as an
invasive species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
. It is often known as "Selarang" and "Teck Meng" in Malay and Chinese respectively in Singapore, having a high population there.
Mynas are not a natural group; instead, the term ''myna'' is used for any starling in the Indian subcontinent, regardless of their relationships. This range was colonized twice during the
evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
of starlings, first by rather ancestral starlings related to the
coleto
The coleto (''Sarcops calvus'') is a starling species (family Sturnidae) in the monotypic genus ''Sarcops''. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland for ...
and ''
Aplonis
''Aplonis'' is a genus of starlings. These are essentially island species of Indonesia and Oceania, although some species' ranges extend to the Malay Peninsula, southern Vietnam and northeastern Queensland. The typical adult ''Aplonis'' starling ...
'' lineages, and millions of years later by birds related to the
common starling
The common starling or European starling (''Sturnus vulgaris''), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about long and has glossy black plumage ...
and
wattled starling
The wattled starling (''Creatophora cinerea'') is a nomadic resident bird in eastern and southern Africa. It is a species of grassland, open woodland, and cultivation.
This is the only African starling that appears to show affinities with the As ...
's ancestors. These two groups of mynas can be distinguished in the more terrestrial
adaption
In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the p ...
s of the latter, which usually also have less glossy plumage, except on the heads, and longer tails. The
Bali myna, which is critically endangered and nearly
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
in the wild, is highly distinctive.
Some mynas are considered
talking bird
Talking birds are birds that can mimic the speech of humans. There is debate within the scientific community over whether some talking parrots also have some cognitive understanding of the language. Birds have varying degrees of talking ability: ...
s, for their ability to reproduce sounds, including human speech, when in captivity.
''Myna'' is derived from the
Hindi language
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
''mainā'' which itself is derived from
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
''madanā''.
Characteristics
Mynas are medium-sized passerines with strong feet. Their flight is strong and direct, and they are gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country, and they eat
insect
Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...
s and
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
.
Plumage
Plumage ( "feather") is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, ...
is typically dark, often brown, although some species have yellow head ornaments. Most species nest in holes.
Some species have become well known for their imitative skills; the
common hill myna
The common hill myna (''Gracula religiosa''), sometimes spelled "mynah" and formerly simply known as the hill myna or myna bird, is the myna most commonly seen in aviculture, where it is often simply referred to by the latter two names. It is a ...
is one of these.
Species
The following are species of mynas. The coleto and the two ''Saroglossa'' starlings are included because of their position in the taxonomic list.
Jungle and hill mynas
*
Yellow-faced myna
The yellow-faced myna (''Mino dumontii'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in New Guinea and nearby smaller islands, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. The long-tailed myna ...
, ''Mino dumontii''
*
Golden myna
The golden myna (''Mino anais'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are prese ...
, ''Mino anais''
*
Long-tailed myna
The long-tailed myna (''Mino kreffti'') is a member of the starling family. It is native to the Bismarck and Solomon archipelagos. It resembles the yellow-faced myna, and the two were formerly considered conspecific.
Its binomial name commemor ...
, ''Mino kreffti''
*
Sulawesi myna
The Sulawesi myna (''Basilornis celebensis'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Description
The Sulawesi myna grows to a ...
, ''Basilornis celebensis''
*
Helmeted myna
The helmeted myna (''Basilornis galeatus'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is endemic to Indonesia.
Description
It is black with white spots on its face with a significant helmet-like crest.
Habitat
Its natural habita ...
, ''Basilornis galeatus''
*
Long-crested myna
The long-crested myna (''Basilornis corythaix'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is endemic to Seram Island.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane ...
, ''Basilornis corythaix''
*
Apo myna
The Apo myna (''Goodfellowia miranda'') is a species of starling in the starling family Sturnidae. The species is also known as the Mount Apo starling or the Mount Apo king starling. It is the only member of the genus ''Goodfellowia''. It is e ...
, ''Basilornis miranda''
*
White-necked myna
The white-necked myna (''Streptocitta albicollis'') is a large, long-tailed species of starling in the family Sturnidae. Due to its superficial resemblance to a magpie, it has been referred to as the Celebes magpie or Sulawesi magpie in the pas ...
, ''Streptocitta albicollis''
*
Bare-eyed myna
The bare-eyed myna (''Streptocitta albertinae'') is a large, long-tailed species of starling in the family Sturnidae. Its common name is a reference to the large patch of dark bare skin around the eyes. Due to its superficial resemblance to a ma ...
, ''Streptocitta albertinae''
*
Fiery-browed myna, ''Enodes erythrophris''
*
Finch-billed myna, ''Scissirostrum dubium''
*
Golden-crested myna, ''Ampeliceps coronatus''
*
Common hill myna
The common hill myna (''Gracula religiosa''), sometimes spelled "mynah" and formerly simply known as the hill myna or myna bird, is the myna most commonly seen in aviculture, where it is often simply referred to by the latter two names. It is a ...
, ''Gracula religiosa''
*
Southern hill myna
The southern hill myna (''Gracula indica'') is a member of the starling family. It is a resident of the forested regions of south India and Sri Lanka. This species moves around in flocks in the forest, and members of a flock keep in contact with ...
, ''Gracula indica''
*
Enggano hill myna
The Enggano hill myna or Enggano myna (''Gracula enganensis'') is a member of the starling family. It is an endemic resident of Enggano Island, off southwest Sumatra. Clements lumps this species with the common hill myna.
Description
The Enggan ...
, ''Gracula enganensis''
*
Nias hill myna
The Nias hill myna or Nias myna (''Gracula robusta'') is a member of the starling family. It is an endemic resident of Nias and other nearby islands off western Sumatra. Clements lumps this species with the common hill myna.
Description
This la ...
, ''Gracula robusta''
*
Sri Lanka hill myna, ''Gracula ptilogenys''
"True" mynas
*
Great myna
The great myna (''Acridotheres grandis''), also known as the white-vented myna, is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Northeast India, through Bangladesh to Southeast Asia.
Description
It is black with elongated for ...
, ''Acridotheres grandis''
*
Crested myna
The crested myna (''Acridotheres cristatellus''), also known as the Chinese starling, is a species of starling in the genus ''Acridotheres'' native to southeastern China and Indochina.Feare, C., Craig, A., Croucher, B., Shields, C., Komolphalin, ...
, ''Acridotheres cristatellus''
*
Javan myna
The Javan myna (''Acridotheres javanicus''), also known as the white-vented myna, is a species of myna. It is a member of the starling family. It is native to Bali and Java. It has been introduced to other Asian countries, and as far away as Puer ...
, ''Acridotheres javanicus''
*
Pale-bellied myna
The pale-bellied myna (''Acridotheres cinereus'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is endemic to the southwestern peninsula of Sulawesi (south from Ranteapo), Indonesia. It has been introduced to Tawau, Sabah (Borneo
Bo ...
, ''Acridotheres cinereus''
*
Jungle myna
The jungle myna (''Acridotheres fuscus'') is a myna, a member of the starling family. It is found patchily distributed across much of the mainland of the Indian Subcontinent but absent in the arid zones of India. It is easily recognized by the ...
, ''Acridotheres fuscus''
*
Collared myna
The collared myna (''Acridotheres albocinctus'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae.
It is found in China, India, and Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions req ...
, ''Acridotheres albocinctus''
*
Bank myna
The bank myna (''Acridotheres ginginianus'') is a myna found in the northern parts of South Asia. It is smaller but similar in colouration to the common myna, only differing in having brick-red naked skin behind the eyes instead of yellow. It is ...
, ''Acridotheres ginginianus''
*
Common myna, ''Acridotheres tristis''
*
Bali myna, ''Leucopsar rothschildi''
"Gracupica" mynas
*
Indian pied myna
The Indian pied myna (''Gracupica contra'') is a species of starling found in the Indian subcontinent. It is usually found in small groups mainly on the plains and low foothills. It is often seen within cities and villages although it is not as b ...
, ''Gracupica contra''
*
Siamese pied myna
The Siamese pied myna (''Gracupica floweri'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. Its plumage is black and white, with a black collar. It is found in Myanmar and China to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. It previously was considered ...
, ''Gracupica floweri''
*
Javan pied myna
The Javan pied myna (''Gracupica jalla'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. Its Indonesian name is . Its plumage is black and white, with a black collar. It was found in most of Java and Bali (but has been potentially extirpated ...
, ''Gracupica jalla''
The following species are often included in the ''Acridotheres'' mynas:
*
Vinous-breasted starling, ''Acridotheres burmannicus''
*
Black-winged starling
The black-winged myna (''Acridotheres melanopterus'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. The species is also known as the black-winged starling or the white-breasted starling. It is endemic to Indonesia. There are three recognise ...
, ''Sturnus melanopterus''
*
Red-billed starling
The red-billed starling (''Spodiopsar sericeus'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in south and southeastern China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the ...
, ''Sturnus sericeus''
*
White-cheeked starling
The white-cheeked starling or grey starling (''Spodiopsar cineraceus'') is a passerine bird of the starling family. It is native to eastern Asia where it is a common and well-known bird in much of its range. Usually, it is placed in the genus ''S ...
, ''Sturnus cineraceus''
References
Sources
*
External links
{{Commons category, Sturnidae
Myna videoson the Internet Bird Collection
Recording of a Myna bird in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Sturnidae
Bird common names