Common Myna

The Common Myna is native to South Asia but has been widely introduced elsewhere, including parts of Australia, Africa, and North America, where it thrives in urban and agricultural environments. It is a familiar, bold bird often seen foraging on lawns, sidewalks, and around outdoor dining areas.

Flight feathers: brown with a bold white patch at the base of the primaries, forming a conspicuous white flash visible in flight. Tail feathers: brown with a white tip, also visible as a pale terminal band in flight. Body feathers: glossy black on the head and upper breast contrasts with warm brown on the back, wings, and lower underparts, accompanied by bare yellow skin around the eye (not feathered) and a yellow bill and legs. The combination of a black hood, brown body, and bold white wing and tail markings distinguishes Common Myna feathers from related mynas such as the Jungle or Bank Myna.

Sexes look alike. Adults show a glossy black head and upper breast, warm brown body plumage, a white wing patch and tail tip, and bare yellow skin around the eye with a yellow bill and legs. Juveniles are duller brown overall with a less glossy head and reduced yellow facial skin, gaining full adult coloration within their first year. There is no distinct seasonal plumage change.

Common Mynas are native to South and Southeast Asia but have established large introduced populations across Australia, parts of Africa, the Middle East, Pacific islands, and North America, particularly in urban and suburban environments, farmland, and open country. The species is generally non-migratory and highly adaptable to human-altered habitats.

This myna forages on the ground, taking insects, small vertebrates, fruit, and discarded human food, often walking with a confident, upright gait. It nests in cavities, including building crevices, tree hollows, and nest boxes, and can be aggressive toward other cavity-nesting species. Common Mynas are vocal and social, giving a range of harsh chattering, gurgling, and whistled calls, often in noisy communal roosts at dusk.