Black-winged Myna
Acridotheres melanopterus
The Black-winged Myna (Acridotheres melanopterus) is a legendary rhabdornis, starlings, and myna found only in Indonesia, weighing about 89 g. The black-winged myna is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae.
About the Black-winged Myna
The black-winged myna is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. The species is also known as the black-winged starling or the white-breasted starling. It is endemic to Indonesia. There are three recognised subspecies: the nominate race, which occurs across much of the island of Java; tricolor, which is restricted to south east Java; and tertius, which is found on Bali and possibly Lombok. The validity of the records on Lombok has been called into question, as there are only a few records and those may represent escapees from the caged-bird trade or natural vagrants. The species has often been assigned to the starling genus Sturnus, but is now placed in Acridotheres because it is…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The black-winged myna is a small myna, 23 centimetres (9.1 in) in length. The plumage of this species is striking, with the head, breast, back and rump being white, and the tail and parts of the wings glossy black. The tip of the tail and parts of the wings are also white. The skin around the eye is unfeathered and yellow. The bill is yellow, and slightly darker towards the base. The sexes are alike, and young birds are like the adults except that juveniles' crown and back are grey. The subspecies tricolor is similar to the nominate but has a grey back and much more black on the wings.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: February, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, with peak activity in June. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Black-winged Myna?
- The black-winged myna is a small myna, 23 centimetres (9.1 in) in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Black-winged Myna?
- The Black-winged Myna is a medium sized bird weighing about 89 g.
- Where can you see a Black-winged Myna?
- The Black-winged Myna is endemic to Indonesia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Black-winged Myna?
- The Black-winged Myna is most easily confused with the Collared Myna, the Burmese Myna and the Vinous-breasted Myna.
- Is the Black-winged Myna endangered?
- The Black-winged Myna is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Black-winged Myna for real
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