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Hill
Myna (Talking Myna or Grackle)
Gracula religiosa
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 Appearance
A stockily built bird, the hill
myna has glossy black plumage, with bright golden-yellow
wattles on the head and a conspicuous white patch
on each wing. Male and female look similar. Size:
30.5 cm (12 in) |
Description
A noisy, sociable bird, it lives
in small groups of up to 6 outside the breeding season,
occasionally gathering in larger groups at feeding
trees. It rarely descends to the ground. Hill mynas
have a wide repertoire of calls, but although "myna
birds" are first-rate mimics in captivity, they do
not mimic sounds in the wild. |
Regions
India, Sri Lanka, Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, S. China, Hainan, S.E. Asia, Indonesia;
introduced elsewhere in forest |
Diet
It spends most of its life in
trees or bushes and feeds on fruit, particularly figs,
berries, buds, nectar, and some insects and lizards. |
Breeding
The nest is made in a hole in
a tree trunk, often an old woodpecker hole. Both parents
incubate the 2 or 3 eggs and feed the young. |
 Status
Wildlife Protection of Thailand,
Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act 1992 |
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