Javan myna
| Javan myna | |
|---|---|
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| Acridotheres javanicus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Sturnidae |
| Genus: | Acridotheres |
| Species: | A. javanicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Acridotheres javanicus (Cabanis, 1850) | |
The Javan myna (Acridotheres javanicus), also known as the white-vented myna and the buffalo myna, is a myna, a member of the Starling family. It is primarily found in Java.
It is conspecific, and thought to be in competition with the common myna (A. tristis) in some of its range (for example, Malaysia and Singapore).
The Javan myna has an extremely liquid voice and, like the European starling, incorporates imitation into its repertoire (though it is not able to imitate the human voice, like the hill myna Gracula religiosa).
The Javan myna is predominantly black, with a white vent, a white wing patch, white on the underside of the tail, and has a thick yellow eye ring for grown adults, legs and beak. It sometimes has grey (white) flecking on its belly. It can raise the feathers on its forehead into a dramatic crest.
Like other sturnids it is omnivorous, roosts in colonies and is abundantly successful in a variety of habitats. Javan mynas are as accomplished in cities as they are in padi fields, where they will prey on insects disturbed by water buffalo, often riding the buffalo like the related oxpecker.
It is usually found in Southeast Asia.
There is some confusion over naming between A. grandis and A. javanicus, which was until recently considered a subspecies of the pale-bellied myna, A. cinereus. It lays 2-6 eggs. Javan myna can live for 8 to 20 years. It eats ants, worms, fruits, human feeds, insects and grains.