Crested Myna

How to identify

Field marks

1. Black overall with a slight green metallic gloss
2. Prominent forehead feathers where the bill meets the head
3. Prominent white patches in the center of both wings in flight
4. Yellow bill; white tips to the outer tail feathers

Male, female and young

The male is slightly larger and the female’s forehead feathers are slightly less developed, but there are no other differences between the sexes. Immatures have poorly developed forehead feathers and a slight coffee-brown tinge to the plumage.

Voice

Vocal and also mimics other birds’ calls; gives a harsh “jaaay” when startled.

Similar species

Large-billed Crow

Also black overall, but Large-billed Crow is about 50 cm in body length, compared with about 25 cm for Crested Myna; Crested Myna has a bright yellow bill.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April and November–December · Most records: China, Portugal, Argentina

Crested Myna has been recorded at 1,186 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 14 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

1. Mai Po Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)3,625 records
2. Huajiang IBA – Huajiang Wild Duck Nature Park (Huajiang to Zhongxing Bridge)Taiwan (China)2,987 records
3. Costa da Caparica – área nortePortugal2,537 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ChinaPortugalArgentinaPhilippinesMalaysiaCanadaVietnamJapan

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The crested myna (Acridotheres cristatellus), also known as the Chinese starling, is a species of starling in the genus Acridotheres native to southeastern China and Indochina. It is named after the tuft of feathers on its forehead that resembles a crest.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions