Bank Myna
Acridotheres ginginianus
Dapper inhabitant of cities, towns, and farmland. Combination of gray body, dark head and wings, and bright orange face and bill are unique. Exposes flashing pale wing patches in flight. Forages on the grounds, often in flocks; visits garbage dumps, food markets, and animal feedlots.
Identification
The head is black on the crown and sides and the upper plumage is slaty grey while the underside is lighter grey with pale pink plumage towards the centre of the abdomen. The wing is black but has a wing patch at the base of the primaries and the tips of the outer tail feathers are pale pinkish buff. The naked skin behind the eye is brick red, the legs are yellow while the iris is deep red. The sexes are indistinguishable in the field. Young birds have a browner head and neck.<p>The species is evolutionarily closest to the common myna.
Taxonomy
Genus: Acridotheres; Family: Sturnidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Acridotheres ginginianus
- Authority
- (Latham, 1790)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Genus
- Acridotheres
Range and habitat
The native range of the bank myna is almost restricted to the Indian subcontinent from the Indus valley in the West to the Gangetic delta in the East and south of the lower foothills of the Himalayas, only rarely being found in sheltered valleys. They are found mainly in the vicinity of open water and their usual habitat is cultivated farmland and open country, but flocks will often live within cities, in markets and railway stations. They make use of food scraps disposed by humans, even following catering vehicles at airports to standing aircraft.<p>The distribution was formerly noted to be restricted north, roughly, of a line between Bombay and Balasore in Orissa, but the species may be expanding its range. They are also common in Pakistan in the districts of Sind and Punjab. A specimen from Kandahar was earlier considered the westernmost record of a vagrant, but the birds have since established themselves in the region. Although mainly resident, they make movements in response to food and weather. The species name of the bird is based on the name given by Latham from a description by Pierre Sonnerat who described Le petit Martin de Gingi in 1782, referring to Gingee near Pondicherry in southern India. Thomas C. Jerdon noted in 1863 that the species did not occur in southern India however the species was recorded in the region in 1914 at Vandalur near Madras. Records from further south in India are, however, increasing since 2000. Breeding colonies have been found in Assam.<p>These mynas have been introduced into Kuwait, where they have become established in the wild. Flocks have also been found in the Maldives, Taiwan and Japan.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: rising.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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