Long-tailed Myna
Mino kreffti
An unmistakable very large starling. Mostly glossy purplish-black with stunning large bright yellow bare facial skin and bill. In flight, white rump and white wing patches are obvious. Found in forest edge, forest, and secondary growth below 1000 meters of elevation. Voice consists of a varied chorus of whistles and squawks.
Identification
Going on standard measurements and length, this very large myna is one of the largest member of the diverse family Sturnidae, behind only perhaps the Nias hill myna. It measures 29–32 cm (11–13 in) in length. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 15.4 to 16.8 cm (6.1 to 6.6 in), the tail is 11.2 to 12.1 cm (4.4 to 4.8 in), the culmen is 2.9 to 3.3 cm (1.1 to 1.3 in) and the tarsus is 3.8 to 4.3 cm (1.5 to 1.7 in). No known weights have been reported. These measurements are just slightly larger on average than the closely related yellow-faced myna and indicate the species is around three times as massive as the common starling. The long-tailed myna mainly has purple-glossed black plumage. It has bright orange-yellow patches of naked skin around each eye. It has a yellow lower belly and white wing patches, which are obvious in flight. The rump and undertail are white and the strong bill is bright yellow.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Mino kreffti
- Authority
- (Sclater, PL, 1869)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Genus
- Mino
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The long-tailed myna nests in tree holes, often in palms. The eggs are pale blue with delicate reddish or grey markings.<p>This myna is arboreal, and is found alone or in pairs in open lowland forests and plantations. It feeds mainly on fruits and berries. It is a conspicuous and vocal species with a wide range of whistles and squawks.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds

Scaly-breasted Cupwing
Pnoepyga albiventer
Adorable tiny bird that loosely resembles a minute tailless wren. Warm dark brown above with rufous overtones, and scaled below; pale-morph birds have white edgings to black “scales,” while dark-morph birds have edgings that are coffee-stain tan. Smaller Pygmy Cupwing lacks the tan spots speckling the crown and neck of Scaly-breasted. Scaly-breasted inhabits dark, damp areas in dense forest, often around boulders, streams, and ravines. Song is a jumbled series of high-pitched melodic warbles, notably more complex than the song of Pygmy Cupwing.

Gray Teal
Anas gracilis
Plain grayish mottled duck with a rounded crown. Note plain face lacking the bold stripes of Pacific Black Duck. White wing panels are distinctive in flight compared to purple/green of Pacific Black Duck. Told from female Chestnut Teal by the much paler neck/throat. One of the most common ducks in many waterways, forming enormous flocks numbering in the 1000s.

Oriental Cuckooshrike
Coracina javensis
A large gray cuckooshrike with a strong, hooked bill. Upperparts are mostly gray with black primaries; male darker than female. Rump and upper tail are paler than back, which is apparent in flight. Male has gray throat and upper breast becoming paler on the belly. Female generally has paler underparts with faint gray bars except from the lower belly to the tail. Both sexes have a dark patch from the bill to slightly behind the eye, giving a masked impression. Juvenile is brownish, heavily scaled with whitish-buff, and mottled on the underparts. Immature has broader white edges to wing feathers. Vocal. Call is a two-noted, rather nasal “gii-yaak,” uttered in flight as well as from a perch. Inhabits lightly wooded country, avoiding wet forests.
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