3 min readMar 28, 2023 12:47 PM IST
First published on: Mar 28, 2023 at 12:47 PM IST
A tuft of feathers on the forehand arising at the base of the bill with round yellow eyes with no orbital skin patch giving it an aggressive look, which becomes more relevant with its high pitch call – these are the primary features that make a Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus) different from the two other members in the startling family i.e. Common Myna, Bank Myna in the Inter-State Chandigarh Region (ISCR).
Around 23cm in length, Jungle Myna is a common resident bird in our area, which is mostly found in the well-wooded areas and cultivation areas. As this bird was categorised as a common resident bird unlike Common Myna and Bank Myna, the sighting of Jungle Myna is possible in the outer areas situated at a distance from urban settlements.
One can distinguish this bird from its aggressive appearance. It is a territorial bird that can defend its territory aggressively. Jungle mynas are omnivorous and feed mainly on insects, fruit and seeds, for which they forage mainly on the ground often in the company of other myna species. They also take berries from low bushes.
The loud and aggressive high-pitched calls had attracted my attention towards at least three Jungle Mynas sitting on a thorny Acacia Nilotica (kikkar) tree at the backside of Nature Interpretation Centre near Regulatory Ends, Sukhna Lake recently. Prior to it, I had captured this bird on my camera returning from Chakkimod in Solan in May last year. The bird was sitting on an electricity pole calling aggressively. The pole was situated at a hilltop. The myna was sitting against the direction of the wind. A white wing patch on the base of its right side primaries was visible.
Meanwhile, the large white wing patches on the base of the primaries become conspicuous in flight, and the tail feathers are broadly tipped in white. According to ornithologists, the breeding season of Jungle Myna is in summer and before the rains, February to May in southern India and April to July in northern India. The bird is a secondary cavity nester, using both holes in trees and in man-made constructions such as walls, embankments, and in houses from 2 to 6 metres above the ground.
The usual clutch consists of 4 to 6 turquoise blue eggs. Both sexes take part in nest building, incubation, and feeding the young. They roost communally along with other mynas, sometimes in sugarcane fields and reed beds.
Jungle mynas are omnivorous and feed mainly on insects, fruit and seeds, for which they forage mainly on the ground often in the company of other myna species. 
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