Bird Guide

Great Myna vs Rosy Starling

Great Myna (Acridotheres grandis)

Great Myna

Acridotheres grandis

Medium99 gGrassland

It is black with elongated forehead feathers, forming a frontal crest that may curl backwards. Its beak and feet are yellow. It has white from the vent to the tip of the tail and a white wing patch.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Jason Thompson · CC BY 2.0
Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus)

Rosy Starling

Pastor roseus

Medium73 gGrassland

The adult rosy starling is highly distinctive, with its pink body, pale orange legs and bill, and glossy black head, wings and tail. Males in the breeding season have elongated head feathers which form a wispy crest that is fluffed and more prominent when the bird gets excited. In winter, the crest is shorter, and the edges of black feathers within the plumage become paler as the edges of these feather erode. Winter plumage in males is comparatively dull. Females in contrast have a short crest and lack the sharp separation between pink and black.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Koshy Koshy · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Great Myna and Rosy Starling.