The Myna Acridotheres tristis is one of the most successful birds in Seychelles. It is found on almost all the islands and in all habitats and eats all kinds of food. It can make its nest on the top of a coconut palm, in hollow trees or in houses. It is a popular cage bird in many parts of the world because it can mimic sounds and speech. Wild birds can mimic the calls of other birds. Mynas are aggressive and compete with other birds for nest spaces. They may also eat the eggs or young chicks of other birds. The endemic birds of Seychelles are particularly vulnerable to this kind of competition and for this reason, mynas are controlled on some islands. You may sometimes see a myna with a bare head; this is called ‘lerwa marten’ although there is nothing special about it, it has just lost the feathers from its head.
Facts:
Scientific Name: Acridotheres tristis
Creole name: Marten
Wingspan: 33-37cm.
Population in Seychelles: Unknown
World Distribution: Asia (where native), Madagascar, South Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, Australia, and warm islands throughout the world (where introduced).
Distribution in Seychelles: All large and medium-sized islands; absent from a few tiny, remote islands.
Habitat: Beaches, urban areas, gardens, plantations, scrub, forest from sea level to mountaintops.
Nests: Untidy twig nests built in coconut tops, hollow trees, roofs of buildings, etc.
Eggs: 2-6, blue.
Diet: Fruit, insects, birds eggs, lizards, seeds, household scraps.
Identification: A medium-sized brown-black bird with white wing patches (obvious in flight) and yellow beak, yellow skin round eye.
See more
Species Fact Sheet at BirdLife Data Zone
(Photo credit: Wikimedia)