Common Hill Myna vs Southern Hill Myna

Common Hill Myna

Gracula religiosa

Medium192 gForest

This is a stocky jet-black myna, with bright orange-yellow patches of naked skin and fleshy wattles on the side of its head and nape. At about 29 cm length, it is somewhat larger than the common myna (Acridotheres tristis). It is overall green-glossed black plumage, purple-tinged on the head and neck. Its large, white wing patches are obvious in flight, but mostly covered when the bird is sitting. The bill and strong legs are bright yellow, and there are yellow wattles on the nape and under the eye. Voice: The common hill myna is often detected by its loud, shrill, descending whistles followed by other calls. It is most vocal at dawn and dusk, when it is found in small groups in forest clearings high in the canopy. Both sexes can produce an extraordinarily wide range of loud calls – whistles, wails, screeches, and gurgles, sometimes melodious and often very human-like in quality.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Rejoice Gassah, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Rejoice Gassah · cc-by

Southern Hill Myna

Gracula indica

Medium192 gForest

The southern hill myna has a shiny black plumage. It generally measures about twenty centimeters. It can live between 15 and 30 years. The legs are yellow, the beak is bright orange at the base and yellow at the tip. It has white spots on the primary remiges. Like other species of hill myna, the southern hill myna has yellow wattles on the head.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: sam-rajnikant · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Common Hill Myna and Southern Hill Myna.