While studying starlings a few days ago, I was surprised to discover that the Myna is also a member of the Sturnidae family. This reminded me of how frequently I saw them during my visit to Taiwan in August 2022. An image of the Myna—one that borders on "horror" due to its intense gaze—immediately came to mind. Digging through my archives, I found photos of Common Mynas I had taken in Phuket, Thailand, back in July 2019.
After researching the Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), I learned that it holds a notorious distinction: it is one of only three birds included in the world’s 100 worst invasive species. Their ability to adapt to almost any environment has allowed them to thrive far beyond their original range.
The Common Myna is sexually monomorphic, meaning males and females are identical in appearance. They have a black head and upper chest, which contrasts with a chestnut-brown body. Their most striking features are the bright orange-yellow beak and the matching patch of bare skin around the eyes. Unlike some other myna species, the Common Myna does not have a tuft of feathers on its forehead. When they fly, bold white wing patches become highly visible.
Common Mynas are now ubiquitous in urban areas and can be found almost everywhere. They show little fear of humans and are frequently seen foraging for food on lawns and grasslands. When they gather in groups, they are extremely vocal and noisy.
幾天前研究椋鳥科的時候，我驚訝地發現八哥也屬於椋鳥科。這讓我想起了 2022 年 8 月在台灣旅行時經常見到它們的情景。我腦海中立刻浮現出一張八哥的照片──它那銳利的眼神讓人不寒而慄。翻找舊照片，我找到了 2019 年 7 月在泰國普吉島拍攝的家八哥的照片。
在讀了有關家八哥的資料後，我發現它臭名昭著：它是全球 100 種最惡劣入侵物種中僅有的三種鳥類之一。它們極強的適應能力使它們得以在原棲息地之外繁衍生息。
家八哥是雌雄同型的，也就是說雄性和雌性外形完全相同。它們的頭部和上胸部呈黑色，身體栗褐色。它們最引人注目的特徵是亮橙黃色的喙和眼睛周圍與之相配的裸露皮膚。與其他一些八哥屬鳥類不同，家八哥額頭上沒有簇狀羽毛。當它們飛行時，醒目的白色翼斑會非常顯眼。
家八哥如今在城市地區隨處可見，幾乎無所不在。它們不怕人，經常可以看到它們在草坪和草地上覓食。當它們成群結隊地聚集在一起時，會發出極其嘈雜的叫聲。
Notes 筆記
- The common myna or Indian myna, sometimes spelled mynah, is a bird in the family Sturnidae, native to Asia. An omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct.
- The common myna is readily identified by the brown body, black hooded head and the bare yellow patch behind the eye. The bill and legs are bright yellow. There is a white patch on the outer primaries and the wing lining on the underside is white.
- Common myna often fluffs its feathers and bobs its head in singing. It screeches warnings to its mate or other birds in cases of predators in proximity or when it is about to take off flying. They are popular as cage birds for their singing and “speaking” abilities. Before sleeping in communal roosts, common mynas vocalese in unison, which is known as “communal noise”.
- Common mynas are believed to pair for life. They breed through much of the year depending on the location, building their nest in a hole in a tree or wall.
- Like most starlings, the common myna is omnivorous. It feeds on insects, arachnids, crustaceans, reptiles, small mammals, seeds, grain and fruits and discarded waste from human habitation.
- Common mynas roost communally throughout the year. The function of communal roosting is to synchronize various social activities, avoid predators, and exchange information about food sources. Communal displays consist of aerial maneuvers which are exhibited in the pre-breeding season (November to March). It is assumed that this behavior is related to pair formation.
- The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) declared the common myna as one of only three birds among the world’s 100 worst invasive species. It is regarded as a pest in South Africa, North America, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and many Pacific islands. It is particularly problematic in Australia. In a 2008 popular vote, the bird was named “The Most Important Pest/Problem” in Australia. They have earned the nickname “flying rats”, due to their numbers and their scavenging behavior. They are also known as “the cane toad of the sky”.
- 家八哥或印度八哥有時拼寫為 mynah 是椋鳥科的一種鳥類，原產於亞洲。它是一種雜食性開闊林地的鳥類，有強烈的領域意識。
- 家八哥有棕色的身體、黑色頭冠的頭和眼睛後面裸露黃色斑塊。喙和腿呈亮黃色。外圍的鳥翼羽有一個白色的斑紋，下面的羽翼襯裡是白色的。
- 家八哥經常在唱歌時抖鬆羽毛並搖頭。如果有掠食者靠近或即將起飛，它會向它的配偶或其他鳥類發出警告。由於它們的鳴唱和“說話”能力，它們常被養成為籠鳥。在公共棲息地睡覺之前，家八哥會齊聲發聲，製造“社區噪音”。
- 家八哥被認為是終生保持同一配偶的。隨地點的不同，一年中大多數時間都可繁殖。它們在樹上或牆上的洞裡築巢。
- 像大多數椋鳥一樣，家八哥是雜食的。它以昆蟲、蛛形綱動物、甲殼類動物、爬行動物、小型哺乳動物、種子、穀物和水果以及人類居家的垃圾為食。
- 家八哥整年都群居。群居停棲的功能是調整各種社會活動使之一致，避免捕食者，並交換食物來源的信息。集體的求偶誇耀行為包括在繁殖前季節(11月至3月)的空中特技表演。這種行為可能與配對有關。
- 國際自然保育聯盟宣布家八哥是世界上100種最嚴重的入侵物種中的三種鳥類之一。在南非、北美、中東、澳大利亞、紐西蘭和許多太平洋島嶼，都被認為是一種有害小動物。在澳大利亞尤其成問題。在2008年的一次全民投票中，這種鳥被評為澳大利亞“最重大的害蟲/問題”。由於它們的數量和捕食行為，它們贏得了“飛鼠”的綽號。它們也被稱為“天空中的蔗蟾蜍”。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Common myna
- 百度百科: 家八哥
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