Common Myna

About the Common Myna
Also known as: Indian Mynah, House Myna
Common Myna
The Common Myna is a medium-sized species of songbird related to starlings. They are native to parts of Asia but its range is increasing rapidly and the species is considered a pest in many places.

Common Mynas compete with native birds in several areas where they have been introduced. Escapees in South Africa are well established near human habitation and are considered to be agricultural pests in addition to the damage they inflict on native South African birds. The Common Myna was intentionally introduced to Victoria, Australia, in the late 1860s as a natural insect control method in gardens. It was intentionally released in Queensland later as a control for agricultural pests like grasshoppers and cane beetles. Today Australia considers the Common Myna to be their most important pest problem.

Common Mynas are known by other names, including the Indian Mynah. They are omnivores, feeding on a wide variety of food items, including insects, reptiles, seeds, fruit, and scraps foraged from garbage dumps.
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Details & Statistics

Conservation

The Common Myna is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2012 by BirdLife International. This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

International Names

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Related Articles

2017 Bonanza Bird #5: Common Myna

Today's new bird is the Common Myna! The Common Myna is a medium-sized songbird native to parts of Asia. Today the species is known in more parts of the world as a pest. Intentionally introduced (Australia) or accidental escapee (South Africa) birds...  Read more »