Starlings · Perching birds
Common Myna
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Acridotheres tristis
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Voice
Call
Alarm
Song
How to recognize it
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23 cm long
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Brown body, dark head, bare yellow patch behind the eye
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Bright yellow bill and legs
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Large white patches on the wings, clear in flight
About the species
Against its brown body, the Common Myna’s black hood makes a sharp contrast, with bare yellow skin behind the eye and a bright yellow bill and legs. A white patch on each wing flashes when it takes off, and the tail ends in white. The underside of the wings is white, too. The sexes look alike, and pairs are a familiar sight.
On the ground it walks, with occasional short hops, as it picks through grass for food. Its calls range from chirps and whistles to clicks, croaks and squawks, with warning screeches when danger is close; it may fluff its feathers and bob its head while calling. At dusk, groups gather and call together before settling into communal roosts.
It turns up around homes, cultivated land and open woodland, and has adapted readily to urban streets and suburbs. It probes grass for insects, especially grasshoppers, and also eats fruit, seeds, grain and discarded food. It roosts communally throughout the year.
Where to find
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In cities where Common Mynas are established, scan built-up streets with little vegetation for ground-level feeding on insects and discarded food.
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By walls with cavities and beneath low eaves, watch pairs slip into openings to nest during the breeding season.
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Along roadsides where populations are established, look for feeding on roadkill.
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In open woodland and cultivated areas, watch for walking and occasional hops over the ground while searching for insects.
