Gracula religiosa
hill myna

Gracula religiosa (otherwise known as the Common Hill Myna, Common Grackle, or the Talking Myna) is native to eastern India, southern China, Indochina, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Phillippines. This species however has been introduced and successfully established in other areas, particularily Florida, Hawaii, Japan, and Puerto Rico (Feare, 1999).

The Hill myna is found either on hills between 300 and 2000 m. high or at sea level (Feare, 1999). It prefers areas where rainfall and humidity are both high, therefore inhabiting most of the jungles, evergreen, and wet deciduous forests in its range. The myna is common at forest edges, clearings or thinned areas, and cultivated areas such as coffee plantations (Feare, 1999).

The Hill myna averages 27-30 cm in length. It has a glossy black appearance with feathers that vary in undertone. The crown, nape, and breast has a purple glow while the rest of the body is tinted with green and the tail is polished turquoise. The wings are black with a white patch on primaries 3-9. The face consists of a red bill that fades into a yellow hooked tip and fleshy wattles, or flaps of bare skin, that extend out to the middle of the nape (Feare, 1984).

As mentioned above, the Hill myna is monogamous. During the non-breeding season large flocks accumulate together, but the couples are still obvious. Several pairs may nest in one tree without territorial aggression, but most space their nests about

1 km apart (Feare, 1999). Females instigate copulation by stretching horizontally and flapping their tail up and down very quickly (Bertram, 1970).

The Common Hill myna is almost completely arboreal. It prefers perching on the highest point of an exposed dead branch (Feare, 1999). Unlike other mynas and starlings that walk, this Myna hops sideways on branches.

The Hill myna is generally an arboreal frugivore, but also includes nectar, insects, and lizards in its diet. Figs are eaten most frequently, followed by berries and seeds from a variety of trees and shrubs. Most of the insects eaten are gleaned from trees, but it has been known to catch winged termites in the air (Feare, 1999).

The large demand for the Hill myna has caused competition amongst hunters, but there has not been a major conflict between the natives yet. There may be concern for strife if the myna population decreases far below the demand.

Although the Hill myna doesn't have an original song, it is one of the most famous songbird mimics. Its ability to mimic human speech, bird calls, and a wide variety of other sounds has made this bird more demanded than the parrot (Orenstein, 1997). This demand has led to the creation of industries that harvest and prepare juveniles for the pet trade.

In north eastern India, the HIll myna used to be caught for food. In fact, curried myna was a favorite among the people there (Feare, 1999).

Finally, the Hill mynas frugivore diet aids in the pollination of forest trees and in seed dispersal.

Due to their large exploitation for trade, the Hill myna population has declined. Forest destruction and habitat loss further this rate to a possible level of concern. Currently however, little is being done to conserve this species.