7-3-2020 THATTEKAD, INDIA - COMMON HILL MYNA (Gracula religiosa)

The Common Hill Myna, Gracula religiosa, is a robust, starling family member, cloaked in a glossy black plumage with a striking purple hue on its head and neck. This bird, approximately 29 cm in length, is adorned with bright orange-yellow patches of naked skin and fleshy wattles on the side of its head and nape, distinguishing it from its relatives.

When perched, the large white wing patches of the Common Hill Myna are mostly concealed, yet they become quite conspicuous in flight. The bird's bill and strong legs are a vivid yellow, complemented by yellow wattles on the nape and under the eye, which vary subtly in shape among the species' subspecies.

The Common Hill Myna is an arboreal creature, preferring the tree-tops at the forest's edge, where it moves in large, noisy groups.

This species is native to the hill regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia, extending from Kumaon division in India through Nepal, Bhutan, and Arunachal Pradesh, and further east to southern China, Thailand, and northern Indonesia to Palawan in the Philippines.

The Common Hill Myna exhibits a unique sideways hop along branches, unlike the jaunty walk typical of other mynas. It is most vocal at dawn and dusk, and while it does not mimic other birds in the wild, it is an exceptional mimic of human speech in captivity.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - COMMON HILL MYNA (Gracula religiosa)

The common hill myna (Gracula religiosa), 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 (G. enganensis) and Nias hill myna (G. robusta) are also widely accepted as specifically distinct, and many authors favor treating the southern hill myna (G. indica) from the Nilgiris and elsewhere in the Western Ghats of India as a separate species.

The common hill myna is a popular talking bird. Its specific name religiosa may allude to the practice of teaching mynas to repeat prayers.