Common Myna

Latin Name: 
Acridotheres tristis
Category: 
Size: 
23cm
Description: 

Sexes alike. Rich vinous-brown plumage; black head, neck and upper breast; yellow beak, legs and naked wattle around eyes distinctive; large white spot in
dark brown flight feathers, best seen in flight; blackish tail, with broad white tips to all but central feathers; whitish abdomen. Solitary, or in scattered pairs or small, loose bands India's most common and familiar bird; hardly ever strays far from man and habitation; rather haughty and confident in looks; aggressive, curious and noisy; struts about on ground, picks out worms; attends to grazing cattle and refuse dumps; enters verandahs and kitchens, sometimes even helping itself on dining tables.

Habitat: 
human habitation, cultivation, light forests.
Food: 
omnivorous; fruits, nectar, insects, kitchen scraps, refuse.
Distribution: 
subcontinent, up to about 3,500m in the Himalaya.
Call: 
Call Description: 
noisy; a great mix of chattering notes, one of India’s most familiar bird sounds.
National Status: