Common Myna

Description:

The Common Myna is readily identified by the brown body, black hooded head and the bare yellow patch behind the eye. The bill and legs are bright yellow. There is a white patch on the outer primaries and the wing lining on the underside is white. The sexes are similar and birds are usually seen in pairs. The Common Myna obeys Gloger's rule in that the birds from northwest India tend to be paler than their darker counterparts in South India. The generic name Acridotheres, means "grasshopper hunter"

Habitat:

A common bird in the Indian Subcontinent. The range of the Common Myna is increasing at such a rapid rate that in 2000 the IUCN Species Survival Commission declared it the world's third most invasive species and one of only three birds in the top 100 species that pose an impact to biodiversity, agriculture and human interests.

Notes:

An omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct, the Myna has adapted extremely well to urban environments. The Common Myna is an important motif in Indian culture and appears both in Sanskrit and Prakrit literature. "Myna" is derived from the Hindi language mainā which itself is derived from Sanskrit madanā. In Sanskrit literature, the Common Myna has a number of names, most are descriptive of the appearance or behaviour of the bird. In addition to saarika, the names for the Common Myna include kalahapriya, which means "one who is fond of arguments" referring to the quarrelsome nature of this bird; chitranetra, meaning "picturesque eyes"; peetanetra (one with yellow eyes) and peetapaad (one with yellow legs).