Golden Myna
Mino anais
An uncommon, fairly large bird of lowland forest canopy. Black face, back and belly, pale, yellow bill, yellow eye, chest, neck and lower belly, and white below the base of the tail and wing patch, noticeable in flight. Races differ. Northwestern birds have an all-black head whereas central birds have a yellow crown. Often found in flocks at fruiting trees and sometimes associate with Yellow-faced Myna. Similar to Yellow-faced Myna, especially in flight, but Golden Myna has a black face, yellow chest and rump. Voice, a high-pitch, downslurred whistle, a short musical, bell-like phrase, repeated at intervals and a raspy, froglike “gauu!”.
Identification
The golden myna (Mino anais) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. René Primevère Lesson named this bird after his daughter Anaïs who died when she was eleven years old.
Taxonomy
Genus: Mino; Family: Sturnidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Mino anais
- Authority
- (Lesson, RP, 1839)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sturnidae
- Genus
- Mino
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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A fairly small owl of lower-elevation montane forest on Luzon. Dark brown on the head, chest, and upperparts, with barred flight feathers. Eyebrows, beard, and belly whitish, with some patterning. Overlaps geographically with Philippine Scops-Owl, but Luzon is smaller, usually found at higher elevation, and has yellow rather than orange-brown eyes. Voice includes a single slightly rising then falling whistled note, repeated at intervals.
Pacific Koel
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Large cuckoo known for its loud distinctive calls. Bright red eye. Males entirely black. Females barred with varying patterns, a black crown and a strong moustache. Occurs in a variety of habitats, fairly common in suburban areas. Strong migrant, spending the middle of the year in eastern Indonesia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and migrating south into eastern Australia during the austral summer. Calls are very loud, often heard at night or pre-dawn, including a piercing ‘coo-eee’, and a longer ‘wirra-wirra-wirra’ (similar to a car alarm).
Laughing Dove
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Small, similar in size to European Turtle-Dove. Tail is strikingly long with white corners and a grey center, but is all white underneath. Its body is pastel shades of brown and pink with a spotted black collar. Usually associated with human-modified landscapes, such as plantations, gardens, and urban areas as long as some trees are present. The call is a repetitious “coo- coo coo ru” replicated 5–8 times.
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