Twitchers And A Myna Bird

[Speedo1968]

No, I am not a Twitcher but interested in wildlife and animal behaviour ( part of my past occupation ).

How common is a yellow headed and necked myna ?

I have seen a couple of pictures online but most show an unkempt / not well formed bird.

I do not have a photo unfortunately.

I saw on a road in my village last year, then not again until this week. Both times it was in the same piece of land.

It is a female ( at least no crest ). It is of normal proportions, not stunted in any way.

It is quite large and stands erect and flies well.

It is flighty compared to city / town mynas.

The head and its long strong neck are completely bright yellow, the rest of the body feathering is normal.

A final question, where has the bird been since last year ? I walk this road every day at the same and different times.

If you are a Twitcher have you seen a unique way that this bird ( myna ) gets food scraps out of a plastic bag ???

[tolsti]

Common mynahs are the hooligans of the bird world. They are always looking for mischief.... Anything they can nick or blag... They'll go for it. They curse and swear at each other in a manner that would make a cheap bargirl blush!. The white vented are far more refined and elegant.

[DILLIGAD]

You need to speak to isaanbirder. He's Very knowledgeable and helpful on this subject.

[isanbirder]

Thank you for nothing, Dilligad!

"Yellowheads" are usually Collared Starlings (Google this for pics), but this does not really fit what you describe. (What is 'normal' when you're comparing it to a different species?)

[isanbirder]

I've just checked the Google pics, and they're not very helpful. Imagine one of the white-headed ones with the head bright golden-yellow. I've never been quite sure what this is, maybe pollen.

[Speedo1968]

Thank you for nothing, Dilligad!

"Yellowheads" are usually Collared Starlings (Google this for pics), but this does not really fit what you describe. (What is 'normal' when you're comparing it to a different species?)

Hello "isanbirder"

Thanks for your response.

I have asked a lot of questions below, I hope you don't mind, please let me know if you do.

So that you understand my interest I have worked in farming for over 50 years, starting when I was 15. I study, out of interest, animal behaviour and genetics: to make it worse I talk with animals including horses and dogs. As a freelance farm consultant everything I see, smell, hear, touch etc. is important and I think "outside the box" - hence my questions.

The reason no photo, I dont carry a camera / phone camera, and I would have been too slow anyway to take a picture.

Have attached 2 pictures from google the nearest I can find to the bird and the color of yellow.

I understand they are part of the starling family - is that correct ?

I have lived in Thailand a ling time and seen myna birds in cities and countryside before.

The bird in the first picture is the nearest to what I consider a common myna ( please remember I am not an expert but like to watch wildlife whichever country I am in ). I have seen some with a crest on the head rather lower down near the beak. The yellow one I have seen showed no crest during the couple of minutes I watched it, either when it was walking or in flight.

The second picture - the birds beak - shows the depth of yellow.

The yellow one I saw had excellent plumage ( no jokes about parrots intended ), this included the yellow feathering. It's neck was a little bit longer than those I have seen before, I dont think this was an optical illussion due to colouring. The overall appearance of the bird showed no "defects" that one may see due to a genetic errors, e.g. unthriftness.

Could this be a "throw bacK" to another line from the past or an error from a particular mating ? Could you tell me if they mate for life or have a different mare each season ?

If there was no crest would this be the female ?

If it was the female and I have only seen this one bird last year and again now, could it mean she is infertile, she is avoided by males, or she has mated and her offspring are normal colouring ?

If you would be interested I do have a picture I did take of another bird that I cant recognize.

Here there are hoopoe's which I also saw in Saudi.

Locally, a few months ago, someone night trapped birds ( net and firework ) leaving behind 2 owls ( one looked very old ), 3 hoopoe and a number of other smaller birds, when I found them in the net in the morning I could only rescue one. Dont know what birds the people where trying to net.

Looking forward to your reply.

[Speedo1968]

Thank you for nothing, Dilligad!

"Yellowheads" are usually Collared Starlings (Google this for pics), but this does not really fit what you describe. (What is 'normal' when you're comparing it to a different species?)

Hello "isanbirder"

Thanks for your response.

I have asked a lot of questions below, I hope you don't mind, please let me know if you do.

So that you understand my interest I have worked in farming for over 50 years, starting when I was 15. I study, out of interest, animal behaviour and genetics: to make it worse I talk with animals including horses and dogs. As a freelance farm consultant everything I see, smell, hear, touch etc. is important and I think "outside the box" - hence my questions.

The reason no photo, I dont carry a camera / phone camera, and I would have been too slow anyway to take a picture.

Have attached 2 pictures from google the nearest I can find to the bird and the color of yellow.

I understand they are part of the starling family - is that correct ?

I have lived in Thailand a ling time and seen myna birds in cities and countryside before.

The bird in the first picture is the nearest to what I consider a common myna ( please remember I am not an expert but like to watch wildlife whichever country I am in ). I have seen some with a crest on the head rather lower down near the beak. The yellow one I have seen showed no crest during the couple of minutes I watched it, either when it was walking or in flight.

The second picture - the birds beak - shows the depth of yellow.

The yellow one I saw had excellent plumage ( no jokes about parrots intended ), this included the yellow feathering. It's neck was a little bit longer than those I have seen before, I dont think this was an optical illussion due to colouring. The overall appearance of the bird showed no "defects" that one may see due to a genetic errors, e.g. unthriftness.

Could this be a "throw bacK" to another line from the past or an error from a particular mating ? Could you tell me if they mate for life or have a different mare each season ?

If there was no crest would this be the female ?

If it was the female and I have only seen this one bird last year and again now, could it mean she is infertile, she is avoided by males, or she has mated and her offspring are normal colouring ?

If you would be interested I do have a picture I did take of another bird that I cant recognize.

Here there are hoopoe's which I also saw in Saudi.

Locally, a few months ago, someone night trapped birds ( net and firework ) leaving behind 2 owls ( one looked very old ), 3 hoopoe and a number of other smaller birds, when I found them in the net in the morning I could only rescue one. Dont know what birds the people where trying to net.

Looking forward to your reply.

Sorry forgot pictures please see below.

[DILLIGAD]

Thank you for nothing, Dilligad!

?)

Sorry, I thought I was singing your praises?

[AjarnNorth]

Golden-crested Myna? Bit out of known range, but that wouldn't necessarily rule it out. Not much of a long neck, though. View pics via below link.

http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?p=13&Bird_ID=2520&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1&Location=

Could also be an escaped caged-bird.

[isanbirder]

The two pics are White-vented Mynah and Common Mynah. These are two of the three commonest species. The third is the Collared or Black-collared Mynah, which has a white head. Sometimes this white head is bright yellow, which I think is pollen. That's the one I think you were originally talking about.

Golden-headed is unlikely (it's strictly a forest bird), but not impossible.

[Speedo1968]

Golden-crested Myna? Bit out of known range, but that wouldn't necessarily rule it out. Not much of a long neck, though. View pics via below link.

http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?p=13&Bird_ID=2520&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1&Location=

Could also be an escaped caged-bird.

Thanks AjarnNorth for your comments.

The pictures I pasted are NOT of the actual bird, they where given as an example of the general appearance of what I understand as a common myna and the intensity of yellow colouring The actual neck of the bird when standing upright but not stretched was around 4 - 5cm, far longer than anything I have seen before - it wasalso a strong well toned neck not scraggy. I didnt have a camera with me.

[Speedo1968]

The two pics are White-vented Mynah and Common Mynah. These are two of the three commonest species. The third is the Collared or Black-collared Mynah, which has a white head. Sometimes this white head is bright yellow, which I think is pollen. That's the one I think you were originally talking about.

Golden-headed is unlikely (it's strictly a forest bird), but not impossible.

Thanks "isanbirder" for your comments and identification of the pictures I uploaded from Google.

The pictures I pasted are not of the actual bird, they where given as an example of the general appearance of what I understand as a common mynah and the intensity of yellow colouring Which I am sure you understand. The actual neck of the bird when standing upright but not stretched was around 4 - 5cm, far longer than anything I have seen before - it was also a strong well toned neck, not scraggy. I didnt have a camera with me.

Definitely not the Golden - headed I looked at images and that type is far smaller and stumpy.

I have looked at images of the Collared Mynah, the general shape of the CM is different, longer slimmer, white colouring on head / neck / wings.

As I say, the one I am asking about is almost certainly a Common Mynah.

My past work included bird genetics related to farming so I am positive of the shape etc that I saw, its just that I dont know much about wild birds.

Would you be able to comment further, I would really be very very interested ?

If I described a Common Mynah's behaviour in obtaining food, which I have so far only seen in one part of Thailand, an exceptional ability to learn and succeed for little effort, would you be interested in commenting.