Gracula

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Gracula
Gracula.svg
Diversity and distribution within the genus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
Genus: Gracula
Linnaeus, 1758
Type species
Gracula religiosa (common hill myna)
Linnaeus, 1758
Diversity
See text
Synonyms
  • Eulabes

Gracula is a genus of mynas, tropical members of the starling family of birds found in southern Asia and introduced to Florida in the United States.

Contents

Taxonomy

The genus Gracula was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae . [1] The genus name is from Latin graculus, an unknown bird sometimes identified as the western jackdaw. [2] Of the seven species listed by Linnaeus, George Gray designated the common hill myna (Gracula religiosa) as the type species. [3] [4]

Until recently only two species were recognised, G. religiosa and G. ptilogenys. Previously, all Gracula were considered to belong to a very variable species commonly called the hill myna. Three additional subspecies of G. religiosa are increasingly being considered as distinct species. Formerly, the Sri Lanka hill myna was considered to be a subspecies of the common hill myna, but today all major authorities recognise them as separate. Comparably, the Enggano, Nias, Tenggara, and southern hill mynas have traditionally been treated as subspecies of the common hill myna; a treatment still preferred by some authorities.

Species

Six extant species are recognized: [5]

ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
GraculaPtilogenysLegge.jpg Gracula ptilogenys Sri Lanka hill myna Sri Lanka.
Gracula religiosa robusta-01.JPG Gracula religiosa Common hill myna Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh, the lower Himalayas
KG SHM.jpg Gracula indica Southern hill myna southwest India and Sri Lanka
Gracula venerata Tenggara hill myna Indonesia
Gracula robusta - Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale di Genova (1886) (17788287234) (cropped).jpg Gracula robusta Nias hill myna Nias and other nearby islands off western Sumatra.
Gracula enganensis Enggano hill myna Enggano Island, off southwest Sumatra.

A 2020 study found that the subspecies G. religiosa miotera or Simeulue hill myna, which is endemic to Simeulue, Indonesia and has not been recognized in recent taxonomic arrangements aside from HBW (Handbook of the Birds of the World), also likely represents a distinct species and was likely driven to extinction in the wild in the late 2010s due to unsustainable collecting for the wildlife trade. The paper recommends rescuing the last genetically pure captive individuals for the purpose of captive breeding. [6]

Former species

Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Gracula:

Description

These 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) long birds have glossy black plumage and large white wing patches which are obvious in flight. The bill and strong legs are bright yellow or orange, and there are yellow wattles on the head, the shape and position of which vary with species. The sexes are similar, but juveniles have a duller bill.

Vocalisations

Hill mynas are renowned for their ability to mimic the human voice. It has been claimed that the hill mynah is the best talking bird and the best mimic in the world. [7]

Distribution and habitat

This genus has representatives in tropical southern Asia from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia, and the common hill myna, a popular cage bird, has been introduced to the United States.

Behaviour and ecology

Breeding

The hill mynas are resident breeders typically found in forest and cultivation. The nest is built in a hole and the usual clutch is two or three eggs.

Food and feeding

Like most starlings, the hill mynas are fairly omnivorous, eating fruit, nectar and insects.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myna</span> Various birds of the starling family

The mynas are a group of birds in the starling family (Sturnidae). This is a group of passerine birds which are native to southern Asia, especially India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Several species have been introduced to areas like North America, Australia, South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand, especially the common myna, which is often regarded as an invasive species.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common emerald dove</span> Bird species

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common hill myna</span> Species of bird

The common hill myna, sometimes spelled "mynah" and formerly simply known as the hill myna or myna bird, is the myna most commonly sighted in aviculture, where it is often simply referred to by the latter two names. It is a member of the starling family (Sturnidae), resident in hill regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. The Sri Lanka hill myna, a former subspecies of G. religiosa, is now generally accepted as a separate species G. ptilogenys. The Enggano hill myna and Nias hill myna are also widely accepted as specifically distinct, and many authors favor treating the southern hill myna from the Nilgiris and elsewhere in the Western Ghats of India as a separate species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-tailed starling</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-tailed starling, also called grey-headed starling and grey-headed myna is a member of the starling family. It is a resident or partially migratory species found in wooded habitats in India and Southeast Asia. The species name is after the distribution of a former subspecies in the Malabar region. While the chestnut-tailed starling is a winter visitor to peninsular India, the closely related resident breeding population with a white head is now treated as a full species, the Malabar starling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crested myna</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian pied myna</span> Species of bird

The Indian pied myna is a species of starling found in the Indian subcontinent. It is usually found in small groups mainly on the plains and low foothills. It is often seen within cities and villages although it is not as bold as the common myna. It produces a range of calls made up of liquid notes.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-breasted parakeet</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruddy quail-dove</span> Species of bird

The ruddy quail-dove is a species of bird in the dove and pigeon family Columbidae. It breeds throughout the West Indies, Central America, and tropical South America. It has appeared as a vagrant in Florida and southern Texas. It lays two buff-colored eggs on a flimsy platform built on a shrub. Some nests are built on the ground.

<i>Acridotheres</i> Genus of birds

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<i>Sturnus</i> Genus of birds

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-billed starling</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-shouldered starling</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nias hill myna</span> Species of bird

The Nias hill myna or Nias myna is a member of the starling family. It is an endemic resident of Nias and other nearby islands off western Sumatra. Clements lumps this species with the common hill myna.

In the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, published in 1758, the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus described 554 species of bird and gave each a binomial name.

References

  1. Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 108.
  2. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 176. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  3. Gray, George Robert (1840). A List of the Genera of Birds : with an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus. London: R. and J.E. Taylor. p. 39.
  4. Mayr, Ernst; Greenway, James C. Jr, eds. (1962). Check-list of birds of the world. Vol. 15. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 118.
  5. "IOC World Bird List 7.1". IOC World Bird List Datasets. doi: 10.14344/ioc.ml.7.1 .
  6. Ng, Dominic Y. J.; Švejcarová, Tereza; Sadanandan, Keren R.; Ferasyi, Teuku Reza; Lee, Jessica G. H.; Prawiradilaga, Dewi M.; Ouhel, Tomáš; Ng, Elize Y. X.; Rheindt, Frank E. (2021). "Genomic and morphological data help uncover extinction-in-progress of an unsustainably traded hill myna radiation". Ibis. 163 (1): 38–51. doi: 10.1111/ibi.12839 . ISSN   1474-919X.
  7. Butterfield, Kathy. "Owning a Mynah". The AACC Homepage. Archived from the original on 2015-07-12. Retrieved 2015-09-21.