Myna

This article is about the bird. For other uses, see Myna (disambiguation).
"Myna bird" redirects here. For the bird commonly known as the 'myna bird' in aviculture, see Common hill myna.
Not to be confused with the Australian or South American birds known as "miners".
Mynas
Bali myna (Leucopsar rothschildi)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
A common Myna
A common Myna resting on some coconuts, Thanlyin, Myanmar
Myna perched in a flowering tree, Nishiki-e (color woodblock print) by Isoda Koryusai, c. 1775.
Common mynah on a tree. Kollam, Kerala, India.

The myna (also known as mynah) is a bird of the starling family (Sturnidae). This is a group of passerine birds which are native to southern Asia, especially India. Several species have been introduced to areas like North America, Australia, South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand, especially the common myna which is often regarded as an invasive species. Often known as "Selarang" in Singapore, due to their high population located at the area.

Mynas are not a natural group;[1] 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 of starlings, first by rather ancestral starlings related to the coleto and Aplonis lineages, and millions of years later by birds related to the common starling and wattled starling's ancestors. These two groups of mynas can be distinguished in the more terrestrial adaptions of the latter, which usually also have less glossy plumage except on the heads and longer tails. The Bali myna which is nearly extinct in the wild is highly distinctive.

Some mynas are considered talking birds, for their ability to reproduce sounds, including human speech, when in captivity.

"Myna" is derived from the Hindi language mainā which itself is derived from Sanskrit madanā.[2][3]

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 insects and fruit.

Plumage 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 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

"True" mynas

Common myna, Acridotheres tristis
Two myna sitting together

The following species are often included in the Acridotheres mynas:

In pop culture

The myna appears as a Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoon character, simply named "The Myna Bird", who appeared in the Inki series during the 40s, and then later appeared in other Warner Bros. cartoon shorts and as well as Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries and a Looney Tune film Tweety's High Flying Adventure.

The myna birds were mentioned in the famous utopian novel "Island" by Aldous Huxley

References

  1. ↑ Zuccon et al. 2006
  2. ↑ myna. CollinsDictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 11th Edition. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  3. ↑ New Oxford American Dictionary
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