Crested Myna
Photo taken in the front yard of one the authors of these demo, in Juana Koslay, San Luis, Argentina, during the winter of 2018.
The Crested Myna, also known as the Chinese Starling (Acridotheres cristatellus), is a bird with mostly black plumage, with a conspicuous frontal crest and white patches on its wings. It belongs to the family Sturnidae, which includes other mynas like the Common Myna (Sturnus vulgaris).
This species is originally from China, Laos, Myanmar, Burma, and Vietnam, where it inhabits open areas such as agricultural lands and urban spaces.
The Crested Myna has been introduced to various countries for different reasons. In some cases, it was introduced as a pest control, like in the case of Philippines, or as a cage bird that was later released or that could scape, like in the case of Canada. In some countries it is currently well stablished. In Argentina, for example, flocks of hundreds of birds can be found near La Plata river.
Project Overview: This project explores the global distribution of the Crested Myna, providing statistical and spatial analyses to shed light on its patterns of expansion and colonization in non-native areas.
Bibliography:
- Scheffer, Theo H. and Cottam, Clarence, 1935. "The Crested Myna, or Chinese Starling, in the Pacific Northwest," Technical Bulletins 164532, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
- Feare, C. J. and Craig, A. D. F. K. 1998. Starlings and mynas. Christopher Helm, London.