Long-tailed Myna
Encyclopedia
The Long-tailed Myna is a member of the starling
family. It is resident in the Bismarck Archipelago
and northern Solomon Islands
. It resembles the Yellow-faced Myna
, and the two were formerly considered conspecific.
Its binomial name commemorates Gerard Krefft
, Australia
n zoologist
and palaeontologist
.
, 29–32 cm in length, with mainly purple-glossed black plumage. It has bright orange-yellow patches of naked skin around each eye. It has a yellow lower belly and white wing patches, which are obvious in flight. The rump and undertail are white and the strong bill is bright yellow.
This myna is arboreal, and is found alone or in pairs in open lowland forests and plantations. It feeds mainly on fruits and berries. It is a conspicuous and vocal species with a wide range of whistles and squawks.
Starling
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent...
family. It is resident in the Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
and northern Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. It resembles the Yellow-faced Myna
Yellow-faced Myna
The Yellow-faced Myna is a species of starling in the Sturnidae family. It is found in New Guinea and nearby smaller islands....
, and the two were formerly considered conspecific.
Its binomial name commemorates Gerard Krefft
Gerard Krefft
Johann Ludwig Gerard Krefft , one of Australia's first and greatest zoologists and palaeontologists. In addition to many scientific papers, his books include The Snakes of Australia, A Catalogue of the Minerals and Rocks in the Australian Museum and A Short Guide to the Australian Fossil Remains...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
and palaeontologist
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
.
Description
This is a very large mynaMyna
The myna is a bird of the starling family . This is a group of passerine birds which occur naturally only in southern and eastern Asia...
, 29–32 cm in length, with mainly purple-glossed black plumage. It has bright orange-yellow patches of naked skin around each eye. It has a yellow lower belly and white wing patches, which are obvious in flight. The rump and undertail are white and the strong bill is bright yellow.
Behaviour
The Long-tailed Myna nests in tree holes, often in palms. The eggs are pale blue with delicate reddish or grey markings.This myna is arboreal, and is found alone or in pairs in open lowland forests and plantations. It feeds mainly on fruits and berries. It is a conspicuous and vocal species with a wide range of whistles and squawks.