Acridotheres fuscus
The Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus) is a medium-sized passerine bird, a member of the starling family Sturnidae. Averaging 23-25 cm in length and weighing between 82-120 grams, it is characterized by its dark sooty-grey plumage, a black head, and a distinctive orange-yellow patch of bare skin around the eye, which is a key identification mark. Its bill and legs are also bright yellow, contrasting sharply with its dark body. In flight, prominent white patches on the wings are visible. A slig...
Found in open woodlands, cultivated lands, forest edges, and urban parks, typically in tropical and subtropical regions at low to moderate elevations.
Omnivorous, primarily consuming a wide variety of insects (such as grasshoppers and beetles), fruits, berries, seeds, and nectar, often foraging on the ground near livestock or in trees.
Jungle Mynas are highly social and diurnal birds, spending their days actively foraging before gathering in large communal roosts at dusk, often in dense foliage. Their foraging strategy is omnivorous and opportunistic, primarily involving ground-gleaning for insects and fruits, but they also gle...
The native range of the Jungle Myna spans across a significant portion of South and Southeast Asia. This includes widespread populations throughout the Indian subcontinent (India, Nepal, Bangladesh), Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and parts of Indonesia, specifically Sumatr...
Least Concern
- The Jungle Myna is sometimes considered an agricultural pest in its native range due to its fondness for cultivated fruits and grains. - Unlike some of its close relatives, the Jungle Myna is not particularly known for its vocal mimicry, though it possesses a wide repertoire of its own calls. -...