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THE COMMON MYNA
The myna bird that is so familiar in Hawaii is the common
myna or house myna. We see these noisy rascals hopping across
our roads, bathing in puddles and strutting like royalty, ruling
our
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| lawns and teasing our pets.
We often see them in loud groups where they seem to be discussing
important matters. Many of us have been awakened too early in the
morning by myna birds. Common mynas are natives of India, Sri Lanka,
Pakistan and Nepal. They were brought to Hawaii in 1866 by Dr. |
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| William Hillebrand to control army worms and cutworms which were
destroying sugar cane and pastures. The common myna is known as
an "urban" bird because it is often seen in residential areas. The
mynas inhabit all the main Hawaiian Islands, and since they do not
migrate, they can be seen year around. |
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APPEARANCE
The common myna's head and neck are black. The back and breast are
brown. It has white tail tips and wing patches that flash when the
bird flies. The beak, legs and skin patches behind the eyes are
dark yellow. The male myna bird is about nine inches long. The female's
plumage is the same as the male's, but she may be smaller and paler
in color.
HABITS OF THE COMMON MYNA
In the evening common mynas gather in large flocks to roost (rest
or sleep), usually in banyan or monkeypod trees. Their noisy calls
continue until dark. They begin their calling in the morning before
dawn and stay in the roosting tree for a time before they leave
to begin feeding. Mynas feed in pairs or in small flocks. They
are
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| omniverous feeders - they eat both plant and animal
materials. Besides eating insects and worms, they also eat fruit,
grain and food scraps. While the common mynas are very helpful in
controlling insects, they do cause some problems. They damage crops,
spread weeds and often spread mites (tiny parasites) to other birds
and to homes where mynas nest. They sometimes interfere with the
nests of native birds such as the wedge-tailed shearwater. |
NESTING
Common mynas begin nest-building in late February and March. The
nests are often found in houses or buildings, in the rafters, eaves,
drain pipes, on top of windows or |
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| on ledges. Twigs, grass and leaves are
used to build the nests, as well as cellophane, string and paper.
Nests are sometimes built in trees, especially in coconut and date
palms. In India, snake skin is sometimes draped around the nest
to scare off enemies. Both male and female mynas help build the
nest. When courting, the male brings nesting material and places
it in front of the female, who adds it to the nest. Nests may be
used more than once and new nests may be built on top of old ones.
The mynas.are aggressive in defending their nesting territory from
other birds or predators. Egg-laying takes place between March and
July. Each nest has two to five eggs, which are a blue to blue-green
color. Both adults take turns to incubate, or sit over the eggs.
The chicks hatch after 13 to 18 days. They are fed and brooded (pro-tected
in the nest) by both parents. They are fed insects and earthworms
for the first ten to twelve days, and each |
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chick must be fed as often as 15 times every hour.
At about one month of age the young birds, called fledglings, are
able to fly and are ready to leave the nest. They spend another
month with the par-ents, being fed occasionally and learn-ing to
feed themselves. |
THE COMMON MYNA - AN URBAN PEST CONTROLLER
Common mynas have adapted very well to life in Hawaii. They are
able to live and find food in the city, in towns or in farming areas.
The myna is a neighbor to all of us. Its importance to Hawaii in
devour-ing insects of all kinds makes it a valued pest controller. |
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