Crested Myna
Acridotheres cristatellus
Also known as: Chinese Jungle Mynah, Crested Mynah
About This Species
A stocky black bird with a short crest above the bill and white wing patches visible in flight, common in urban parks, farmland and open country across parts of East and Southeast Asia. It forages boldly on open ground, often in small groups, walking rather than hopping as it searches for insects and scraps, and its harsh, chattering calls are a familiar sound in towns within its range. It can be watched readily around markets, parks and agricultural land at almost any time of day.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- This is a common, people-tolerant species in much of its range, but it should still not be fed deliberately, since reliance on handouts encourages crowding and can create conflicts in urban areas.
- Note that this species is invasive in parts of its introduced range, and local wildlife authorities there may treat it differently to how it is treated in its native range, so approach and any hands-on interaction should follow local guidance rather than a single fixed rule.
- Ordinary observation at a normal distance causes it little disturbance.
LCAvesPasseriformesSturnidae
Seasonal Activity
191,626 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sturnidae
Photo
(c) Frank Lin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Frank Lin
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.