ChubbyCheek
01-19-2008, 12:31 AM
This is a description of the Mynah bird.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b44/cckennel/mb.jpg
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
The 106 species of the starling family are of Old World origin and distribution, mainly in the Ethiopian and oriental regions. As a group, starlings are jaunty, active birds with straight or slightly down-curved bills. They have strong, stout legs and feet, and they walk cockily with a waddling gait. Their flight is strong and direct, and their pointed wings have 10 primaries, the outermost one greatly shortened.
DISTRIBUTION:
Originally starlings were confined mostly to Africa and southeastern Asia. They were brought to Australia and America by man.
BEHAVIOR:
Most starlings are gregarious, some of them highly so. The temperate zone species are migratory, and usually travel and winter in flocks. They often gather in large numbers to roost at night.
Starlings are among the fastest flying birds. After a few wing beats they do not close their wings, but keep them spread out so as to glide. Collective flights are a characteristic feature of starling behavior. A gathering of thousands of starlings before sunset performing aerial maneuvers is an impressive sight.
DIET:
The basic diet for Starlings is fruit and insects. They are also known to eat small fish, small birds, and small lizards.
REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:
Nesting habits vary in the starling family, but in most species the pair bond is strong and both sexes share nesting duties. Starlings usually lay 3-5 clear blue-green eggs. Occasionally the eggs have brown spots as in the Hill mynah. Most are cavity nesters and build their nests in holes in trees. Those associated with mankind use sites in buildings, behind shutters, under eaves, or on any projecting ledge.
The eggs are incubated by both parents for 11-14 days. The young stay in the nest for almost three weeks, leaving it only when they are fully fledged.
Magpie starling:
The Magpie starling is bluish-black with white lower parts and a white wing speculum. The female has a gray head. It breeds from southern Ethiopia to Kenya, generally in holes in termite nests.
Hill Mynah:
The Hill mynah is a stout, glossy black bird with a white speculum on the wing and a yellow bill. There are two large yellow wattles on the nape and two small ones below the eye. It measures 12-15 inches. It lives in pairs or small groups on the margins of forests, building its nest high in the cavities of trees and feeding mainly on fruit.
The Hill mynah is noted for its great learning ability and is a popular cage-bird in its native land, India and Sri Lanka. In the wild their notes vary from low, hoarse chuckles to loud, ringing whistles that carry far. In captivity they often learn to mimic human speech and environmental sounds.
Bali Mynah:
The Bali mynah, also known as Rothchild's grackle, is a rare and endangered species found only on the island of Bali. It was not discovered until 1910. It is white with black flight feathers and has a marked crest. The Honolulu Zoo is one of many zoos attempting to breed this bird in captivity.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b44/cckennel/mb.jpg
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
The 106 species of the starling family are of Old World origin and distribution, mainly in the Ethiopian and oriental regions. As a group, starlings are jaunty, active birds with straight or slightly down-curved bills. They have strong, stout legs and feet, and they walk cockily with a waddling gait. Their flight is strong and direct, and their pointed wings have 10 primaries, the outermost one greatly shortened.
DISTRIBUTION:
Originally starlings were confined mostly to Africa and southeastern Asia. They were brought to Australia and America by man.
BEHAVIOR:
Most starlings are gregarious, some of them highly so. The temperate zone species are migratory, and usually travel and winter in flocks. They often gather in large numbers to roost at night.
Starlings are among the fastest flying birds. After a few wing beats they do not close their wings, but keep them spread out so as to glide. Collective flights are a characteristic feature of starling behavior. A gathering of thousands of starlings before sunset performing aerial maneuvers is an impressive sight.
DIET:
The basic diet for Starlings is fruit and insects. They are also known to eat small fish, small birds, and small lizards.
REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:
Nesting habits vary in the starling family, but in most species the pair bond is strong and both sexes share nesting duties. Starlings usually lay 3-5 clear blue-green eggs. Occasionally the eggs have brown spots as in the Hill mynah. Most are cavity nesters and build their nests in holes in trees. Those associated with mankind use sites in buildings, behind shutters, under eaves, or on any projecting ledge.
The eggs are incubated by both parents for 11-14 days. The young stay in the nest for almost three weeks, leaving it only when they are fully fledged.
Magpie starling:
The Magpie starling is bluish-black with white lower parts and a white wing speculum. The female has a gray head. It breeds from southern Ethiopia to Kenya, generally in holes in termite nests.
Hill Mynah:
The Hill mynah is a stout, glossy black bird with a white speculum on the wing and a yellow bill. There are two large yellow wattles on the nape and two small ones below the eye. It measures 12-15 inches. It lives in pairs or small groups on the margins of forests, building its nest high in the cavities of trees and feeding mainly on fruit.
The Hill mynah is noted for its great learning ability and is a popular cage-bird in its native land, India and Sri Lanka. In the wild their notes vary from low, hoarse chuckles to loud, ringing whistles that carry far. In captivity they often learn to mimic human speech and environmental sounds.
Bali Mynah:
The Bali mynah, also known as Rothchild's grackle, is a rare and endangered species found only on the island of Bali. It was not discovered until 1910. It is white with black flight feathers and has a marked crest. The Honolulu Zoo is one of many zoos attempting to breed this bird in captivity.