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Birds
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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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