A highly attractive bird
A member of the starling family, the Brahmin myna (Sturnia pagodarum) is often referred to as the brahminy starling.
This lovely bird was given the name ”pagodarum” because of his habit to perch atop temple pagodas in southern India.
Adults have a glossy black forehead and crown, and a long, loose crest on top of their heads. There are faint shaft streaks and a cinnamon-colored nape.
Their mantle, back, and rump are brown grey, as are their upper bodies. Their tails are gray-brown with white tips, with the exception of the middle pair.
Cinnamon is present on the neck’s sides and underparts. Some pale shats have what seems to be streaking on their upper breast area.
While young animals are duller with a browner crest, females have a crest that is less prominent than males’.
These birds enjoy dry open lowland areas, open deciduous forest, scrub, and cultivated land as habitats.
They frequently occur in moist locations and close to residential areas. Similar to other starlings, the Brahmin Starling eats both fruit and insects.
Between April and August, brahmin starlings lay their eggs in a hole in a tree that was typically made by a woodpecker.
The nest is built by both sexes using paper, dried grass, and dead leaves, and it is lined with softer, finer material.
Within, three to five eggs are laid, which are then incubated for around 12 days. Once the eggs hatch, the chicks are fed by both parents.
They get fledged after eighteen to twenty-one days.