Sunday, November 7, 2010

Crested Myna

I almost miss this familiar looking myna assuming that it is the usual myna that I seen in Singapore when I was at Taipei, Taiwan.

I took a few shot but didn't pay much attention to it until I cross check my list with the Taiwan bird list than I realised I might have missing something.

After checking the guide book and is confirmed that the myna that I took is actually another entire different species. I mistaken the Crested Myna with Javan Myna!

This is a Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus). One glance it look just like a Javan myna but if you look carefully, it have a different bill shape & colour. The Crested Myna also have a black with white undertail-coverts.

This is a Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus) taken in Singapore Botanic Garden. Javan myna have a clean white undertail-coverts.

I place them side by side, can you tell the difference now?

I took this shots at Taipei and it was raining quite heavily. Is also quite easy to tell the difference when compare with Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) at below.

4 comments:

  1. The crested myna was also introduced to Singapore, with the first records in the 1980s. However, the last sighting was in 1998, so I guess the population was not able to sustain itself and died out. Perhaps competition from the already established common and Javan mynas played a part?

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  2. Hi Ivan

    Thank you. That's the reason I didn't pay attention when I saw it. :)

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  3. on another note, how to tell between male and female javan mynas?

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  4. Since they don't show sexual dimorphism, probably can't tell their gender by their appearance.

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