Crested myna

Acridotheres cristatellus

(Photo from Lananhbirds Club)

Common name:
crested myna (en); mainá-de-crista (pt); martin huppé (fr); mainá china (es); haubenmaina (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sturnidae

Range:
This species originates from southern China, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, but has been introduced to several parts of the world including Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Portugal, Argentina, British Columbia in Canada and Florida in the United States.

Size:
These birds are 25 cm long and weigh 110-120 g.

Habitat:
The crested myna is found in urban parks and gardens, harbours, arable land, rice fields, pastures, wet grasslands and also along forest edges.

Diet:
They feed on insects, fruits, grains and also the eggs and chicks of other birds.

Breeding:
Crested mynas breed in April-June. They nest in a variety of cavities and crevices, and the nest consists of a loose collection of sticks leaves, paper, and other trash. There the female lays 4-7 glossy green-blue eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 14-15 days. The chicks fledge 21-30 days after hatching. Each pair can raise 1-2 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Golden-breasted starling

Cosmopsarus regius

Photo by Nick Athanas (Antpitta)

Common name:
golden-breasted starling (en); estorninho-de-peito-dourado (pt); choucador royal (fr); estornino de pecho dorado (es); königsglanzstar (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sturnidae

Range:
This species is found in East Africa, from southern and eastern Ethiopia, through Somalia and Kenya and into northern Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 30-38 cm long and weigh 45-56 g.

Habitat:
The golden-breasted starling is found in arid areas, namely dry scrublands and savannas and to a lesser extent in dry grasslands.

Diet:
They catch insects in flight and dig up termite mounds to eat termites, but will also eat some fruits and berries.

Breeding:
Golden-breasted starlings are cooperative breeders, leaving in social groups of 3-12 individuals who help build the nest and feed the young. They nest in tree holes, where they build a cup nest made of leaves, roots and other plant materials. There the female lays 3-5 pale green eggs with red speckles, which are incubated for 11-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and other group members and fledge about 3 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status -  LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Common myna

Acridotheres tristis

Photo by Richard Taylor (Wikipedia)

Common name:
common myna (en); mainá-comum (pt); martin triste (fr); miná común (es); hirtenmaina (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sturnidae

Range:
This species originates from southern Asia, from southern Iran and Afghanistan, through India, Nepal and Bangladesh and into Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. The common myna has been introduced to many areas outside their native range, namely the coasts of the Persian Gulf, Madagascar, South Africa, eastern Australia, northern New Zealand, several Pacific islands, Florida and southern Europe.

Size:
These birds are 23-26 cm long and weigh 110-140 g.

Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in agricultural areas, plantations and pastures, and readily adapt to urban environments. They are also found in mangroves and grasslands, from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
The common myna is omnivorous. They forage on the ground, feeding on insects, especially grasshoppers, and also arachnids, crustaceans, reptiles, small mammals, eggs of other birds, seeds, grain and fruits and discarded waste from human habitation.

Breeding:
Common mynas are monogamous and territorial. They breed in October-March and the nest is an open cup made of dry grass, twigs and leaves which may be placed in a tree hollow, cliff side, building or thick vegetation. The female lays 4-6 pale greenish-blue eggs, which she mostly incubates alone for 13-18 days. The chicks fledge 22-27 days after hatching but continue to receive food from parents for another 3 weeks. Each pair raises 2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be increasing as ongoing habitat degradation is creating new areas of suitable habitat and it is also expanding its range into new regions where they easily become an invasive species.

Greater blue-eared glossy-starling

Lamprotornis chalybaeus

Photo by Loot Eksteen (Trek Nature)

Common name:
greater blue-eared glossy-starling (en); estorninho-metálico-grande-d'orelha-azul (pt); choucador à oreillons bleus (fr); estornino orejiazul (es); grünschwanz-glanzstar (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sturnidae

Range:
This species is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, from southern Mauritania and Senegal to Ethiopia and south through eastern Africa to north-eastern South Africa and Angola. They are absent from the rainforests along the Gulf of Guinea and the congo river basin.

Size:
These birds are 22 cm long and weigh around 90 g.

Habitat:
They are mostly found in dry savannas with dense undergrowth, namely Acacia and mopane Colosphermum mopane, but also in dry scrublands and some moist forests. They are also found in agricultural areas and around human settlements.

Diet:
These birds mainly feed on insects, such as grasshoppers, beetles and termites, but also frogs, small lizards, mice and some fruits.

Breeding:
They breed in August-January. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a simple pad of dry grass and feathers placed in a tree cavity, either natural or an old woodpecker or barbet hole. The female lays 2-5 eggs, which she incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 3-4 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is is reported to be common to abundant. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Rosy starling

Sturnus roseus

Photo by Eyal Bartov (Eyal Bartov's Photos)

Common name:
rosy starling (en); estorninho-rosado (pt); étourneau roselin (fr); estornino rosado (es); rosenstar (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sturnidae


Range:
This species is found in eastern Europe and central Asia, from Greece, around the Black Sea and into southern Russia, northern Iran, Kazakhstan and north-western China. They migrate south to winter in India.


Size:
These birds are 18-22 cm long and have a wingspan of 37-40 cm. They weigh 60-90 g.


Habitat:
Rosy starlings are mainly found in steppe and semi-desertic areas, namely grasslands, dry savanna, rocky outcrops, pastures and also in agricultural areas such as vineyards and orchards.


Diet:
In spring and summer they are mainly insectivorous, taking grasshoppers, locusts and caterpillars. During the rest of the year their diet also includes a significant portion of nectar, fruits and berries, namely grapes, mulberries, cherries, apricots, dates and even chillies.


Breeding:
Rosy starlings breed in May-July. The nest is rough cup made of grasses and twigs, lined with feather and finer grass, and placed in holes and crevices, such as gaps between rocks in scree slopes or abandoned holes made by other species. The female lays 3-7 pale blue eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 13-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 21-26 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 500.000-2.500.000 individuals. The population trend is difficult to determine because of uncertainty over the impacts of habitat modification on population sizes.

Spotless starling

Sturnus unicolor

Photo by Celestino Costa (Flickriver)

Common name:
spotless starling (en); estorninho-preto (pt); étourneau unicolore (fr); estornino negro (es); einfarbstar (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sturnidae


Range:
This species is found in south-western Europe, in Portugal, Spain, France and in the islands of Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. It is also found in north-west Africa, in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.


Size:
These birds are 19-23 cm long and have a wingspan of 30-40 cm. They weigh 70-100 g.


Habitat:
The spotless starling is found in open woodlands, scrublands, grasslands  and pastures, often associated with cattle, but they are also common in urban areas, rural gardens, plantations and arable land.


Diet:
They mostly eat invertebrates during spring and summer and seeds and fruits during the rest of the year. These birds are rather opportunistic, taking advantage of occasional food sources, like fruits in vineyards and olive orchards, insects flushed by ploughing and cattle grazing and even eating human trash.


Breeding:
Spotless starlings breed in March-July. The nest is a foundation of twigs, dry grass, herbs and cereal stalks lined thickly with rootlets, grass, leaves, flowers, and feathers. It is placed in a hole, usually in a human-made structure but also in trees or rock faces. The female lays 3-6 blue-greenish eggs, which are incubated for 10-12 days. The chicks fledge 20-22 days after hatching. Each pair typically  raises 2 broods per season.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 10-20 million individuals. The population is suspected to be increasing due to a range expansion in Iberia.

Red-winged starling

Onychognathus morio

Photo by Doug Butcher (Birdlife Trogon's Bird Club)

Common name:

red-winged starling (en); estorninho-d'asa vermelha (pt); rufipenne morio (fr); estornino de alas rojas africano (es); rotschwingenstar (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Sturnidae

Range:

This African species is patchily distributed from Ethiopia through Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi and into northern Mozambique and Zimbabwe, eastern Botswana and South Africa.

Size:

These birds are 27-30 cm long and weigh 125-140 g.

Habitat:

Red-winged starlings are mostly found in rocky outcrops and gorges in highland grasslands, occasionally visiting forests and, in recent times, becoming increasingly common in urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 4.000 m.

Diet:

They mostly eat fruits and arthropods, including termites, locusts, ticks, spiders, millipedes and scorpions. However, these birds are extremely adaptable, being known to pick up human food scraps at picnic sites, eating carrion and even taking molluscs and fresh water crabs from intertidal zones. They may occasionally also eat other birds.

Breeding:

Red-winged starlings form monogamous pairs which probably mate for life. They breed in September-March, with both sexes building the nest, a large flat platform built of sticks, grass and rootlets secured together with mud, lined with grass and hairs. The nest is typically placed on a rock or building ledge, on a beam or at the base of a palm frond. There the female lays 2-4 blue eggs with red-brown spots, which she mostly incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 22-28 days after hatching. Each pair usually produces 2 broods per season, but while the first brood is chased away just 2 weeks after fledging, the second brood often remains with the parents for 5-6 weeks after fledging.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common to abundant in most areas. The population is suspected to be increasing as it has successfully adapted to urban areas.