Fun Crested Myna Facts For Kids

Who doesn’t know of mynas, the birds of the world? A crested myna (Acridotheres cristatellus) is a starling species from genus Acridotheres that belongs to the Sturnidae family and order Passeriformes family from Vancouver, British Columbia.

A crested mynah is also known as a Chinese starling. These starlings are found in rural as well as urban areas, sometimes even near garbage.

Crested mynas are popular cage birds too. This starling species is mostly seen in southeast China and Indochina and in the range of Taiwan along with some regions of North America.

They are called crested mynas due to the presence of tufts of feathers on their foreheads. Their numbers began declining as years passed by due to loss of habitat and climate change.

This bird species was introduced around 1890 to Vancouver, British Columbia. There are some interesting characteristics to these mynah birds such as its jet black body, strong legs, and feet. Want to know more about it? Here are some fun, engaging, and interesting facts about crested mynah birds that will make you more curious about them.  

For more relatable content, check out these oak titmouse facts and grey heron facts for kids.
 

Crested Myna Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a crested myna?

A crested myna (Acridotheres cristatellus) is a small passerine bird that belongs to the Sturnidae family and genus Acridotheres. These starlings are popular cage birds that are easy to tame.

Myna birds have a wide range of habitats from urban areas to rural areas including parks, gardens, farmyards, and agricultural fields. These animals can mimic the human voice in an excellent manner. This starling bird species is called a crested myna because of the presence of tufts of feathers on their forehead.

What class of animal does a crested myna belong to?

A crested myna is a starling species that belongs to the Aves class. They come under the order Passeriformes family, order of the Sturnidae family. Its scientific name is Acridotheres cristellus.  This bird is also known as a Chinese starling. These starlings are mostly seen in southeastern China and Indochina.

How many crested mynas are there in the world?

The population of this bird species is around 10,000-1,00,000 crested mynas across the world. The population of crested mynas in Taiwan is around 100-10,000. This bird was introduced to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1890, but now its population in North America has been listed as locally extinct as it has been declining since the mid 20th century.

Where does a crested myna live?

Populations of crested mynas (Acridotheres cristatellus) can be found in rural as well as urban distribution habitats. Populations of these starlings are mostly found in southeastern China, Indochina, and the Yangtze valley.

Habitats of these starlings are also found in Taiwan, Burma, and Hainan. Crested mynas were also introduced in Vancouver, British Columbia as well as in Singapore, Manila, Japan, and Argentina. Their population is decreasing in North America.

What is a crested myna's habitat?

A crested myna lives in different habitats ranging from urban to rural areas. They can be found in the eaves of buildings, roads, alleys, parks, parking lots, and near bridges. These starlings can also be spotted in agricultural fields, orchards, farmyards, near manure piles, and garbage. They are naturally adaptable birds.

Who do crested mynas live with?

Crested mynas usually lives in pairs. They are social animals and have a close association with humans.

How long does a crested myna live?

A crested myna has an average lifespan of around 11 years. It may vary depending on their diet and surroundings.

How do they reproduce?

Both male and female crested mynas build their nest together and usually mate for life. In the wild, their nests are mostly located in woodpecker holes whereas in urban areas, their nests are seen in drains and chimneys.

Females lay four to six eggs and each egg is laid on each day. They are incubated by females for about 14 days. The young ones are fed by their parents for a week.

What is their conservation status?

A crested myna is listed as a Least Concern species by the IUCN Red List. They are common in their habitat range and require no conservation efforts for preservation of the population. However, their population has been decreasing in North America and as per the IUCN Red List, this species is now locally extinct in North America.

Crested Myna Fun Facts

What do crested mynas look like?

A crested myna is a small passerine bird that belongs to the Sturnidae family. They are called crested mynas due to the presence of tufts of feathers on their foreheads. They are mostly black in color with a tinge of green sheen.

Their bill is pale yellow which is slender and sharp and has orange eyes. Their legs are dull dark yellow in color.

The base and tips of the primaries of these birds are white in color. There is a white color on the tip of the tail feathers and coverts also have white tips. Male birds are slightly larger than female birds.

How cute are they?

A crested myna is a popular caged bird and has a close association with humans. They are cute in their behavior.

How do they communicate?

A crested myna uses sound to communicate with each other in their native region. They make harsh and loud sounds. Their song comprises a variety of calls and sounds from warblers and whistles to a series of chuffs. They are excellent mimics and can mimic human voices very much like parrots and Amazon parrots.

How big is a crested myna?

A crested myna has an average length range of 10 in (25.4 cm) and a wingspan range of 18 in (46 cm).

How fast can a crested myna fly?

A crested myna has an average speed range of around 19 mph (30 kph).

How much does a crested myna weigh?

An adult crested myna may weigh around 0.24-0.3o lb (0.10-0.13 kg). It may vary depending upon the habitat and food habits. Males are larger than female crested mynas.

What are the male and female names of the species?

As a crested myna is a bird, the species is A. cristatellus. A male and female crested myna does not have any specific name and is called a myna.

What would you call a baby crested myna?

A baby crested myna is called a hatching or baby myna bird.

What do they eat?

Crested mynas are omnivores. They primarily feed on insects like worms, fruits, grains, meat, manure, and garbage. Their diet changes seasonally. During the winters, they eat more garbage than insects and fruits.  Main predators of crested mynas include humans and house cats.

Are they dangerous?

A crested myna is not dangerous. They do not attack others but are sometimes called invasive species. They are known as a farmers' friend as they help to catch insects from crops.

Would they make a good pet?

A crested myna is a lively and social bird with amazing outgoing personality. This bird species is friendly, clever, and takes well to living in cages, making it an excellent pet bird species. They are not known to attack humans unless they perceive a threat to their nest.

Did you know...

By the mid 20th century, their numbers began declining and as a result the bird is now locally extinct in North America.

The crested myna was successfully introduced into the Vancouver region of British Columbia, reaching a population in the thousands.

The crested myna is an excellent mimic of human speech.

Parrots are the smartest birds as per research conducted by various scientists.

Can a crested myna talk?

The crested myna has a wide array of songs and calls, from whistles to warbles to chortles.

Do mynah birds kill other birds?

These birds of North America are notorious for removing other birds from their nests and then killing the young birds or chicks due to the strong territorial instincts.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our Senegal parrot facts and great potoo facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable crested myna coloring pages.