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The jungle myna (Acridotheres fuscus) is a myna, a member of the starling family. It is found patchily distributed across much of the mainland of the Indian Subcontinent but absent in the arid zones of India. It is easily recognized by the tuft of feathers on its forehead that form a frontal crest, a feature also found in the closely related Javan myna and the pale-bellied myna which were treated as a subspecies in the past. The eyes are pale, yellow or blue depending on the population and the base of the orange-yellow bill is dark. It has also been introduced either intentionally or accidentally into many other parts of the world including Fiji, Taiwan, the Andaman Islands, and parts of Japan. The species has also spread out on its own to some islands in the Pacific.
Scientific Name : Acridotheres Fuscus
Family : Sturnidae
Order : Passeriformes
Class : Aves
Type : Starlings
Conservation Status : Least concern (LC)
Size : 23 cm
Compare Size : Mayna
Wingspan : NA
Weight : 72 - 98 g
Migratory : Resident
Sex Alike : Yes
Nesting Season : 4 - 6 eggs
Other Names :
Hindi : जंगली मैना
Marathi : जंगल मैना, à¤à¥‹à¤‚टी मैना
Habitat:
Forest and cultivation and often close to open water. They may disperse outside their range particularly after the breeding season
Breeding:
breeding season is in summer and before the rains, February to May in southern India and April to July in northern India.
Feeding:
omnivorous feed mainly on insects, fruit, and seeds
Male & Female | |
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Head | darker grey |
Wing | darker grey |
Primaries | white patches on the base of the primaries, the patch is conspicuous in flight |
Tail | tail feathers have wide white tips |
Forehead | forehead has tuft of feathers |
Bill | yellow but base of the beak is dark in adults with a shade of blue at the base of the lower mandible |
Legs | yellow |
Iris | pale-yellow but southern Indian population has a blue iris |
Note : mainly grey plumage |
Juvenile | |
---|---|
Note : Juveniles are browner with a pale throat and along the median of the underside |
Date | Location |
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08 Dec 2018 | Harihareshwar Beach, Raigad, Maharashtra |
09 Dec 2018 | Harihareshwar Beach, Raigad, Maharashtra |
04 Nov 2018 | Shiravali Gaon, Raigad, Maharashtra |
05 Nov 2018 | Shiravali Gaon, Raigad, Maharashtra |