Hill myna, Myna bird
The Common hill myna (Gracula religiosa ), sometimes spelled "mynah" is a member of the starling family (Sturnidae), resident in hill regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. This species is most commonly seen in aviculture, where it is often simply referred to as the Hill myna or myna bird.
The Common hill myna is a stocky jet-black bird, with bright orange-yellow patches of naked skin and fleshy wattles on the side of its head and nape. It is overall green-glossed black plumage, purple-tinged on the head and neck. Its large, white wing patches are obvious in flight but mostly covered when the bird is sitting. The bill and strong legs are bright yellow, and there are yellow wattles on the nape and under the eye.
Common hill mynas breed from the Kumaon division in India east through Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and Arunachal Pradesh, the lower Himalayas, Terai region. Their range continues east through Southeast Asia northeastwards to southern China, and via Thailand southeastwards across northern Indonesia to Palawan in the Philippines. These birds don’t migrate and live year-round in rainforests, moist montane forests, and mangroves. They can be found in lowlands, hills, and mountains. Common hill mynas also frequently visit cultivated areas such as plantations.
Common hill mynas are almost entirely arboreal, moving in large, noisy groups of half a dozen or so, in tree-tops at the edge of the forest. They hop sideways along the branch, unlike the characteristic jaunty walk of other mynas. These birds are often detected by their loud, shrill, descending whistles followed by other calls. They are most vocal at dawn and dusk when they congregate in small groups high in the canopy. Both the males and the females of this species can produce an extraordinarily wide range of loud calls - whistles, wails, screeches, and gurgles, sometimes melodious and often very human-like in quality. Each individual has a repertoire of three to 13 such call types, which may be shared with some near neighbors of the same sex, being learned when young. Dialects change rapidly with distance, such that birds living more than 15 km (9 miles) apart have no call types in common with one another.
Common hill mynas are omnivorous birds. They eat fruit, nectar, insects, and even lizards.
Common hill mynas are monogamous and form pairs. Their breeding season varies with location but typically occurs between April and July. The pair builds a nest in a hole in a tree and lines it with twigs, leaves, and feathers. The usual clutch is 2 or 3 eggs incubated by both parents. The chicks usually fledge one month after hatching. Common hill mynas can produce 2-3 broods per year.
Common hill mynas are not considered threatened at present, However, in some areas of their native range, these tropical birds become increasingly rare due to the capture of fledged birds for the illegal pet trade.
According to IUCN Red List, the Common hill myna is locally widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
