Brahminy Starling

Overview

The brahminy starling, also known as the brahminy myna, is a passerine bird in the starling family. It is typically found in pairs or small flocks in open habitats on the plains of the Indian subcontinent.

Identification

• Pale buff creamy plumage with a black cap and a loose crest.
• Yellow bill with a bluish base and pale iris.
• Bluish patch of skin around the eye.
• Long musical call notes consisting of slurred sounds that end abruptly.

Habitat

Resident breeder in Nepal and India, with winter visits to Sri Lanka and summer presence in parts of the western and northeastern Himalayas. It inhabits dry forest, scrub jungle, and cultivation areas, often close to human habitations and favouring waterlogged or marshy lands.

Diet

Omnivorous, feeding on fruit, insects, and nectar from flowers such as Salmalia, Butea monosperma, and Erythrina. It forages on grass-covered ground, often in mixed flocks or beside grazing cattle, and consumes the toxic fruits of Thevetia peruviana.

Did you know?

The specific epithet pagodarum is derived from Modern Latin meaning "of the temples" or "of the pagodas," reflecting the bird's historical association with these structures in southern India.