Gracupica contra
The Indian Pied Myna, *Gracupica contra*, is a strikingly patterned member of the starling family (Sturnidae), characterized by its bold black and white plumage. Measuring approximately 22-24 cm (8.7-9.4 in) in length and weighing 75-100g, it features a glossy black head, back, and wings, sharply contrasted by bright white underparts, rump, a prominent wing patch, and white tips on its outer tail feathers. A distinctive bare yellow-orange patch of skin surrounds the eye, complementing its yel...
Primarily found in open cultivated plains, grasslands, and human-modified landscapes such as urban parks, gardens, and villages. Generally restricted to low to moderate elevations near water sources, typically below 1,500 meters.
An opportunistic omnivore, its diet consists extensively of insects (grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars), various fruits, berries, seeds, nectar, small reptiles, amphibians, and readily consumes human food scraps. Primarily a ground feeder, but also gleans from vegetation and occasionally hawks ...
This diurnal and highly social species often forms large communal roosts in trees outside the breeding season, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. It forages primarily on the ground, walking with a distinctive strut, probing soil for invertebrates, and gleaning food from foliage or refuse. Durin...
The Indian Pied Myna is native to a broad geographic area encompassing South and Southeast Asia. Its primary breeding range extends across the Indian subcontinent, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, further east through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, rea...
Least Concern
- The Indian Pied Myna's scientific name, *Gracupica contra*, directly translates to "piebald magpie" or "contrasting magpie" due to its striking black and white plumage. - Unlike many bird species, it shows virtually no sexual dimorphism, with males and females looking identical to the human eye...