Nias hill myna

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Nias hill myna
Gracula robusta - Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale di Genova (1886) (17788287234) (cropped).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
Genus: Gracula
Species:
G. robusta
Binomial name
Gracula robusta
Salvadori, 1887

The Nias hill myna or Nias myna (Gracula robusta) 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.

Contents

Description

This large, stocky and superficially crow-like myna is the largest of the hill mynas and may be the largest living species in the starling family. It ranges from 30 to 36 cm (12 to 14 in) in total length. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 20 to 21.3 cm (7.9 to 8.4 in), the tail is 9.9 to 10.8 cm (3.9 to 4.3 in), the bill is 3.1 to 3.4 cm (1.2 to 1.3 in) and the tarsus is 4.4 to 5 cm (1.7 to 2.0 in). [2] Body weight in the species has been reported as up to 400 g (14 oz). [3] The Nias hill myna has mainly purple-glossed black plumage. It has bright orange-yellow patches of naked skin and large fleshy yellow wattles on the side of its head and nape. There are large white wing patches, which are obvious in flight. The massive bill is mainly red and the strong legs are bright yellow.

Behaviour

This myna is arboreal and is found mainly in flocks in hill forests. Like most starlings, the Nias hill myna is fairly omnivorous, eating fruit, nectar and insects.

This bird is famous for its talking abilities and fetches a high price. It is under pressure from trapping for the illegal pet trade and from habitat destruction, since most indigenous forest has been destroyed. In a bird survey of Nias Island in 1990, Dymond failed to find any Nias hill mynas in a 17-day stay.

In 2015, Czech zoologists discovered several wild individuals, which were thought to be extinct in the wild for the past several years. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starling</span> Family of birds

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae common name of Sturnid Passerines are Starling Family The Sturnidae are named for the genus Sturnus, which in turn comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. The family contains 128 species which are divided into 36 genera. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent plumage. Starlings are native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as northern Australia and the islands of the tropical Pacific. Several European and Asian species have been introduced to these areas, as well as North America, Hawaii, and New Zealand, where they generally compete for habitats with native birds and are considered to be invasive species. The starling species familiar to most people in Europe and North America is the common starling, and throughout much of Asia and the Pacific, the common myna is indeed common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myna</span> Common name for several species of birds

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 Afghanistan, 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.

<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">Southern hill myna</span> Species of bird

The southern hill myna is a member of the starling family. It is a resident of the forested regions of south India and Sri Lanka. This species moves around in flocks in the forest, and members of a flock keep in contact with a wide range of vocalizations.

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

The Sri Lanka hill myna, Ceylon myna or Sri Lanka myna is a myna, a member of the starling family. This bird is endemic to Sri Lanka.

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

The yellow-billed oxpecker is a passerine bird in the family Buphagidae. It was previously placed in the starling and myna family, Sturnidae.

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

The Bali myna, also known as Rothschild's mynah, Bali starling, or Bali mynah, locally known as jalak Bali, is a medium-sized, stocky myna, almost wholly white with a long, drooping crest, and black tips on the wings and tail. The bird has blue bare skin around the eyes, greyish legs and a yellow bill. Both sexes are similar. It is critically endangered and in 2020, fewer than 50 adults were assumed to exist in the wild.

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

The Javan myna, also known as the white-vented myna, is a species of myna. It is a member of the starling family. It is native to Bali and Java. It has been introduced to other Asian countries, and as far away as Puerto Rico.

<i>Gracula</i> Genus of birds

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.

<i>Acridotheres</i> Genus of birds

Acridotheres is a genus of starlings, the "typical" mynas, which are tropical members of the family Sturnidae.

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

The wattled starling is a nomadic resident bird in eastern and southern Africa. It is a species of grassland, open woodland, and cultivation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater blue-eared starling</span> Species of bird

The greater blue-eared starling or greater blue-eared glossy-starling is a bird that breeds from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south through eastern Africa to northeastern South Africa and Angola. It is a very common species of open woodland bird, and undertakes some seasonal migration.

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

The Sulawesi myna is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

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

The Apo myna is a species of starling in the starling family Sturnidae. The species is also known as the Mount Apo starling or the Mount Apo king starling. It is the only member of the genus Goodfellowia. It is endemic to the Philippines found only in the tropical montane forests of Mindanao. It is threatened by habitat loss.

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

The fiery-browed starling or fiery-browed myna is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is monotypic within the genus Enodes. Distinguished by a reddish-orange stripe over the eye, it is endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, mainly living in humid highland forest.

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

The yellow-faced myna is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in New Guinea and nearby smaller islands, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. The long-tailed myna was formerly included as a subspecies. One of the largest species of starling, this species attains 23 to 26 cm in length and weighs around 217 g (7.7 oz). They have dark plumage with a metallic lustre and bright orange facial markings and beak. These birds are social and omnivorous. Their diet consists of fruit and insects for which they forage high in the canopy. They are common birds with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed their conservation status as being of "least concern". It was named after Charles Dumont.

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

The black-collared starling is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. Its plumage is black and white, with a black collar. It is found in southern China and most of mainland Southeast Asia, and has been introduced to Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. Its habitats include grassland, dry forest and human settlements. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as being of least concern.

The Enggano hill myna or Enggano myna is a member of the starling family. It is an endemic resident of Enggano Island, off southwest Sumatra. Clements lumps this species with the common hill myna.

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

The long-tailed myna is a member of the starling family. It is native to the Bismarck and Solomon archipelagos. It resembles the yellow-faced myna, and the two were formerly considered conspecific.

G. robusta may refer to:

References

  1. BirdLife International (2020). "Gracula robusta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T103878817A182272272. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T103878817A182272272.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. Starlings & Mynas (Helm Identification Guide) by Chris Feare. A&C Black (1998). ISBN   978-0713639612.
  3. "The Hill Mynahs". Archived from the original on 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  4. http://www.ccbc.cz/cz/blogx/entry/v-prirode-vyhynuly-loskutak-z-ostrova-nias-znovu-objeven-great-annoucement-from-the-island-of-nias.html [ dead link ]