Brahminy Starling

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Brahminy Starling

Adult

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Sturnidae
Genus:	Sturnus (but see text)
Species:	S. pagodarum

Binomial name

Sturnus pagodarum
(Gmelin, 1789)

Synonyms

See text

The Brahminy Myna (or "Mynah") or Brahminy Starling (Sturnus pagodarum) is a member of the starling family of birds. It is a resident breeder in eastern Afghanistan, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka.

at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.

The adults of these 21cm-long birds have grey upperparts and reddish-orange underparts and black wing quills. The head has a black crown, nape and crest, and the underneath of the tail is white. The bill and the strong legs are bright yellow, and there are yellow wattles on the gape. The recumbent crest may be fluffed up when the bird is excited. The sexes are similar; young birds have crestless sooty brown head and dull general coloration.

Locally the bird is called Bamani myna (Bengal/Bihar), Kalasir myna (Hindi), Pabiyapawi (Uttar Bradesh), Harbola (Bengal), Popoya myna, etc. It was known as shaṇkarā in Sanskrit and compared to a parivrājikā (female ascetic wanderer) in the Mahābhāṣya due to its serene appearance; the English name may reflect this or refer to the traditional Brahmin choti hairstyle. The bird is popularly known as a myna - Salim Ali (1995) describes it as a "typical myna" in its behaviour and appearance -, whereas more recently (e.g. Grimmett et al. 1999) the term "starling" is preferred.

The truth is far more complex however: Mynas are not a natural, monophyletic group, but a name for a number of unrelated South Asian starlings. The present species appears to be neatly intermediate between the "true" or typical mynas (genus Acridotheres) and some of the birds unequivocally termed "starlings". Its closest relatives are quite possibly the genus Sturnia - all called "starlings" - and the Bali Myna, and together they apparently form a well-marked lineage. It is so distinct phylogenetically from other members of Sturnus that it might soon once more be removed to the distinct monotypic genus Temenuchus or into Sturnia.(Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006)

This passerine is typically found in dry forest and scrub jungle. Like most starlings, the Brahminy Starling is fairly omnivorous, eating fruit and insects. It builds a nest in holes. The normal clutch is 3-4 eggs.

[edit] Galleria

in Display at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.	Top view at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.	Preening at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.	at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.
at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.	at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.	At Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India.	At Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India.
Brahminy Mynah with nape and crown hair fluffed.	Brahminy Starling Adult Feeding

[edit] References

Ali, Salim & Daniel, J.C. (1995): The book of Indian Birds. Bombay Natural History Society, India.
BirdLife International (2004). Sturnus pagodarum. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 20 July 2007. Database entry includes brief justification for why this species is of least concern.
Grimmett, Richard; Inskipp, Carol, Inskipp, Tim & Byers, Clive (1999): Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.. ISBN 0-691-04910-6
Jønsson, Knud A. & Fjeldså, Jon (2006): A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds (Aves: Passeri). Zool. Scripta 35(2): 149–186. doi::10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00221.x (HTML abstract)