The Brahminy Myna, also known as the Brahminy Starling, is a member of the starling family of birds. This bird is a stunning creature with its long, wispy crest that is swept back, giving it a distinguished appearance. The Brahminy Starling is so named because of its habit of perching on temple pagodas in southern India. The adults have a long loose crest on the top of their heads, and the forehead and crown are a shade of glossy black. Its nape is cinnamon shaded with fine shaft streaks. Their upperparts, mantle, back, and rump are brown-grey, with the tail being grey-brown with white tips, except for the central pair. The underparts of the bird are cinnamon, as are the sides of the neck. The upper breast area of some pale shats has a streaked effect. The bill is yellow with a blue base, and the legs and feet are yellow. Females can be distinguished from males by their less prominent crest, while juveniles are duller in color with a browner crest.
The Brahminy Starling is endemic to Afghanistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, where it is a resident breeder. These birds prefer dry open lowland areas, open deciduous forest, scrub, and cultivated land. They can also be found near residential areas, as well as waterlogged areas. Like most starlings, the Brahminy Starling is fairly omnivorous, eating a combination of fruit and insects.
The breeding season for Brahminy Starlings is between April and August, when a nest is built in the hole of a tree, usually one left by a woodpecker. The nest is built by both 𝓈ℯ𝓍es from dry grass, dead leaves, and paper, lined with finer, softer material. Three to five eggs are laid within and incubated for about 12 days, and once the chicks hatch, they are fed by both parents. The chicks become fledged after eighteen to twenty-one days.
The Brahminy Starling is locally common and may have expanded in the northern part of its range. This species is not currently considered as threatened on the IUCN list. This bird is one of the prettiest birds out there, a veritable flying rainbow of color that is sure to delight bird lovers everywhere.
