Animals

Common Hill Myna

The Common Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa), sometimes spelled "mynah" and formerly simply known as Hill Myna, is the myna most commonly seen in aviculture, where it is often simply referred to by the latter two names.

There are 12 known sub-species of Hill Mynahs. The Java Hill (Gracula religiosa religiosa) and the Greater Indian Hill (Gracula religiosa intermedia) mynahs are the ones most remembered being seen in pet stores in the United States, before the import ban took place. Some types of Hill mynahs are protected and cannot be found in bird markets or pet stores around the world.

The glossy black plumage is basically the same in all Hill races and when struck by the light you see a sheen of iridescent purple, turquoise and green. All have similar bright yellow wattles but the wattle pattern varies and a bright orange beak that fades to yellow at the tip, resembling "candy corn". There's a band of white across each wing. The legs and feet are yellow. Immature Hill mynahs look like the adults but the plumage is not usually dull and may even have a ragged appearance, for not having gone through the first molt.

Hill mynahs once preferred living in hill forests from a range beginning at about 1000 feet and up to 5000 feet and more, but because of deforestation, they now reside beginning at sea level in lowland forests. They prefer areas of high rainfall and humidity and spend most of their lives in trees, inhabiting dense jungle forests. Though most live in trees on the forest edge, some races are found on tea and coffee plantations where there are lots of large flowering shade trees, and in mangroves.