MYNA 6/6 - Jungle Myna

Jungle Myna

The last  subspecie of the Myna family of Malaysia that I have yet to photograph.  Jungle Myna occur more in the northern and central side of peninsula Malaysia but not in proper Kuala Lumpur.

These 23 cm long birds have grey plumage, darker on the head and wings. There are large white wing patches obvious in flight, and a white tail tip. The head has a forehead tuft. The bill and strong legs are bright yellow with a telltale bluish tinge to the back of the beak, and there is no bare skin around eye. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are browner.

They are usually found close to water or rice fields. Like most starlings, the Jungle Myna is fairly omnivorous, eating fruit, grain and insects.

MYNA 5/6 - White vented Myna (Great Myna Grandis)

White-vented Myna

To say it is common bird is an understatement. Though found in suburb landscape, urban gardens and open park. Its population and territory northward into Perak is extending in the  fastest pace amongst the Mynas in Malaysia. In other SEA country it is also known as Great Myna.

Its features yellow bill reddish brown eyes and blackish head with a floppy crest with contrasting greyish body and obvious plump white vent.  Surprise it a feral resident meaning introduced to Malaysia maybe from India and now adapted to our land as immigrant lah .............like all of us at one time.

It has this conspicious  floppy crest which is the most striking feature of this bird

MYNA 4/6 - Javan Myna

Javan Myna A. Javanicus

 

Javan Myna are not commonly found in urban scape but in kampung  village and outskirt coastal farmland and padi field. It is sometimes called Buffalo Myna. As its name it is primarily found originate from Java.  In Malaysia & Singapore it is co-exist, and thought to be in competition with the Common Myna (A. tristis)

The feral  Javan Myna is in shades of grey to freckle black, with a white vent, an inconspicious  white wing patch, white on the underside of the tail, and has a thick yellow eye ring for grown adults, legs and beak. It sometimes has grey (white) flecking on its belly. It can raise the feathers on its forehead into a dramatic crest.

It call is similar to the Common Myna.

Padi fields and cultivation farmland are their natural habitat, where they will prey on insects disturbed by water buffalo.  It lays 2-6 eggs in crevices and holes.  Javan Myna can live 8 to 20 years. It eats ants, worms, fruits, human feeds, insects and grains.

MYNA 3/6 - Hill Myna

 Hill Myna

At last a better sighting of the Hill Mynas. We were actually talking about them in the car and wishing they will show up..........and indeed reaching the Deerland sighted them on this dead tree at 150 ft. For its size of a foot you can still manage some reasonable pictures from a distance.....cropped of course.

The bird prefers the canopy and seldom come down low. Nests in unused holes of dead trees in lowland forest and fringe.

The local Malays call them Burung Tiong because it give loud call "tiong". It is a popular caged bird. Like parrots it can mimic other bird calls and human speech. Some say it a good "watchdog bird" if trained ....................

Another good place to see it is in Pulau Tioman which is named after this bird

MYNA 2/6 - Crested Myna

Crested Myna

 

Following the tip off from my sifu yet again; the family went to Air Hitam for Penang assam laksa and to capture this feral myna right in town itself. The colony is doing quite well and adapted to the town life here.

The Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus) is a species of starling native to south-eastern China and Indochina. It can be differentiated from its other myna cousins by its bill is dull whitish - ivory like with a pinkish taint at its lower mandible rather than orange-yellow. Its eyes is pale red and its crest looks like a turf overgrown over its beak compared to the White-vented Myna's crown crest which the latter is more regal-like & prominent. I guess this is the last of the Myna species I can see in Malaysia until I stumble upon the supposedly extinct and maybe vagrant Golden-crested Myna in lowland forest in the northern part.....tough luck for us.

MYNA 1/6 - Common Myna

Common Myna

Common Myna is not really common. They are being overrun by the White-vented Myna in urban scapes and road fringes in KL.

It differentiate from the others by its yellow orbital skin. Omnivorous eats anything from fruits to insects. Adaptive and nest in building cervices than trees. Safer amongst humans but not rats...........

Juvenile Common Myna shot in USM Penang Aug2024