Mainate

The Hill Myna has extremely varied vocalizations, comprising a wide range of whistles, sharp cries, whimpers and croaks. Its song is melodious. Its calls are pure and very sonorous. Among its characteristic cries, there are whistled ti-ong or cli-ong, dragging tchièrk and fiiiou.

There is no sexual dimorphism in these birds. This bird measures 27 to 31 cm. Its plumage is shiny black. Its beak is yellow and it has a yellow wattle behind the eye. It can live 15 to 30 years. The Hill Myna is active during the day. It is almost entirely arboreal. It is a noisy gregarious bird that lives in pairs or in small groups of about half a dozen and often perches high in trees. It only occasionally descends into the undergrowth to eat. Sometimes large gatherings of mynas are observed with other frugivorous birds such as hornbills and barbets on trees rich in edible fruit. Its diet consists essentially of fruits and berries and also of flower buds, nectar and insects.

The Myna is found in the Indian subcontinent, on Indian territory but also in Nepal and Bhutan up to 2000 m. Its range continues in Southeast Asia and to the south of China, and via Thailand to the southeast across northern Indonesia to Palawan and the Philippines. It is practically extinct in Bangladesh due to habitat destruction and overexploitation for the pet trade. A wild population on Christmas Island has also disappeared. Introduced populations exist on Saint Helena, Puerto Rico and possibly in continental United States. Wild specimens need at least a humid subtropical climate to persist.