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Myna

This article is about the bird. For other uses, see Myna (disambiguation).
This article is about the Asian bird. For the Australian bird, see Manorina. For the South American bird, see Geositta.
"Myna bird" redirects here. For the bird commonly known as the 'myna bird' in aviculture, see Common hill myna. For present-day rock band, see The Mynabirds.
"Mynah birds" redirects here. For the 1960s band, see The Mynah Birds.

The mynas (/ˈmaɪnə/; also spelled mynah) are a group of birds in the starling family (Sturnidae). This is a group of passerine birds which are native to Iran and Southern Asia, especially Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. 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. It is often known as "Selarang" and "Teck Meng" in Malay and Chinese respectively in Singapore, due to their high population there.

Myna
Common myna (Acridotheres tristis)
Common myna (Acridotheres tristis)
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri
Family: Sturnidae

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 critically endangered and 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 Urdu language مینا (mainā) which itself is derived from Sanskrit madanā.[2][3]

Characteristics

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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.

 
A Common Myna in cage

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

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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

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"True" mynas

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"Gracupica" mynas

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The following species are often included in the Acridotheres mynas:

References

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  1. ^ Zuccon et al. 2006.
  2. ^ "myna". Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged (11th ed.). Retrieved November 22, 2012 – via CollinsDictionary.com.
  3. ^ "myna". New Oxford American Dictionary.

Sources

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