The Brahminy Myna (or "Mynah") or Brahminy Starling (Sturnia pagodarum) is a member of the starling family of birds. It is a resident breeder in eastern Afghanistan, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka.
Description
The adults of these 21cm-long birds have grey upperparts and reddish-orange underparts and black wing quills. The head has a black crown, nape and crest, and the underneath of the tail is white. The bill and the strong legs are bright yellow, and there are yellow wattles on the gape. The recumbent crest may be fluffed up when the bird is excited. The sexes are similar; young birds have crestless sooty brown head and dull general coloration.
This passerine is typically found in dry forest and scrub jungle. Like most starlings, the Brahminy Starling is fairly omnivorous, eating fruit and insects. It builds a nest in holes. The normal clutch is 3-4 eggs.
In India, the bird is called Bamani myna (Bengal/Bihar), Kalasir myna (Hindi), Pabiyapawi (Uttar Bradesh), Harbola (Bengal), Popoya myna, etc. It was known as sha?kar? in Sanskrit and compared to a parivr?jik? (female ascetic wanderer) in the Mah?bh??ya due to its serene appearance; the English name may reflect this or refer to the traditional Brahmin choti hairstyle. The bird is popularly known as a myna - Salim Ali (1995) describes it as a "typical myna" in its behaviour and appearance -, whereas more recently (e.g. Grimmett et al. 1999) the term "starling" is preferred.
Taxonomy
The starling genera have been found to be polyphyletic lead to the redefinition of genus boundaries. This species has been traditionally placed in the genus Sturnus and Temenuchus, but a 2008 study confidently placed it within the genus Sturnia (Zuccon et al. 2008).
Gallery
in Display at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.
Top view at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.
Preening at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.
at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.
at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.
at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.
At Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India.
At Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India.
At Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.
Brahminy Mynah with nape and crown hair fluffed.
Brahminy Starling Adult Feeding
Notes
- ^ BirdLife International (2004). Sturnus pagodarum. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 20 July 2007.
- ^ a b Zuccon, D., Pasquet, E. & Ericson, P. G. P. (2008). Phylogenetic relationships among Palearctic"?Oriental starlings and mynas (genera Sturnus and Acridotheres : Sturnidae). Zoologica Scripta, 37:469"?481 PDF
