Bird Guide

Common Myna vs Jungle Myna

Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)

Common Myna

Acridotheres tristis

Medium116 gUrban

The common myna is readily identified by the brown body, black hooded head and the bare yellow patch behind the eye. The bill and legs are bright yellow. They have rounded wings as well, and a round square tipped tail. There is a white patch on the outer primaries and the wing lining on the underside is white, as well as having a white tail tip. The sexes are similar and birds are usually seen in pairs. The common myna obeys Gloger's rule in that the birds from northwestern India tend to be paler than their darker counterparts in southern India. Voice: The calls includes croaks, squawks, chirps, clicks, whistles and 'growls', and the bird often fluffs its feathers and bobs its head in singing. The common myna screeches warnings to its mate or other birds in cases of predators in proximity or when it is about to take off flying. Common mynas are popular as cage birds for their singing and "speaking" abilities.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Ujjal Kishor De · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0
Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus)

Jungle Myna

Acridotheres fuscus

Medium83 gWoodland

Jungle mynas are 23-centimetre (9.1 in) long and have grey plumage, darker on the head and wings. The sexes are indistinguishable in plumage. A large white wing patches on the base of the primaries becomes conspicuous in flight, and the tail feathers are broadly tipped in white. There is a tuft of feathers on the forehead arising at the base of the bill. The bill and legs are bright yellow, and there is no bare skin around eye as in the common myna and the bank myna. The base of the beak is dark in adults with a shade of blue at the base of the lower mandible.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Wich’yanan (Jay) Limparungpatthanakij · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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