Javan Myna

Acridotheres javanicus

I spent all day yesterday at the San Diego Zoo and hung out in the various aviaries for quite a while. My favorite was the one that featured the birds of South East Asia- those Bali Mynas just seemed to pose so perfectly! But alas, I've written about the Bali Myna before, so lets learn today about one of their genus sharing cousins, the Javan Myna.

Where the Bali is white, the Javan is black. They have specks of white on their tails and wings, and sport bright yellow eyes and beaks. They are found throughout South East Asia, either as a native or an invasive species, depending on the area. Javan Mynas are very adaptable birds; they live in a variety of habitats and feed on many different types of food.

Javan Mynas live in large flocks, and are actually able to mimic the calls of other birds. Alas, while some Mynas are able to mimic humans, this particular species cannot.

Javan Mynas are incredibly common birds throughout their range, and so they are not in any conservation-related danger. In fact, they might be causing some issues with other bird populations, as they are an invasive species. Their adaptability has allowed them to successfully spread into urban areas, and did you know that they are the most populous bird in the small nation of Singapore?

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IUCN Status : Data Deficient
Location : Southeast Asia
Size : Length up to 10in (25cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Sturnidae -- Genus : Acridotheres -- Species : A. javanicus