Gracula is a genus of
mynaThe mynas are birds of the starling family . This is a group of passerine birds which occur naturally only in southern and eastern Asia...
s, tropical members of the
starlingStarlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for Starling, sturnus. Starlings occur naturally in the Old World, from Europe, Asia and Africa, to northern Australia and the islands of the tropical Pacific...
family of
birdBirds are winged, bipedal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay eggs. There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Birds range in size from the Bee Hummingbird to the ...
s. Until recently only two species were recognised,
G. religiosa and
G. ptilogenys; earlier still all
Gracula were considered to belong to a very variable species commonly called
Hill Myna. But three additional
subspeciesSubspecies in biological classification, is 1) a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, or 2) a taxonomic unit, a taxon in that rank...
of
G. religiosa are increasingly being considered distinct
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
.
This genus has representatives in tropical southern
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
from
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, Bangladesh and
Sri LankaSri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India...
east to
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and the Common Hill Myna, a popular cage bird, has been introduced to the USA.
The hill mynas are resident breeders typically found in forest and cultivation.
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Gracula is a genus of
mynaThe mynas are birds of the starling family . This is a group of passerine birds which occur naturally only in southern and eastern Asia...
s, tropical members of the
starlingStarlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for Starling, sturnus. Starlings occur naturally in the Old World, from Europe, Asia and Africa, to northern Australia and the islands of the tropical Pacific...
family of
birdBirds are winged, bipedal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay eggs. There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Birds range in size from the Bee Hummingbird to the ...
s. Until recently only two species were recognised,
G. religiosa and
G. ptilogenys; earlier still all
Gracula were considered to belong to a very variable species commonly called
Hill Myna. But three additional
subspeciesSubspecies in biological classification, is 1) a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, or 2) a taxonomic unit, a taxon in that rank...
of
G. religiosa are increasingly being considered distinct
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
.
This genus has representatives in tropical southern
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
from
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, Bangladesh and
Sri LankaSri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India...
east to
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and the Common Hill Myna, a popular cage bird, has been introduced to the USA.
The hill mynas are resident breeders typically found in forest and cultivation. The nest is built in a hole and the usual clutch is two or three eggs.
These 25–30 cm long birds have glossy black
plumageFeathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates. They are among the outstanding characteristics that distinguish the extant Aves from other living groups....
and large white wing patches which are obvious in flight. The bill and strong legs are bright yellow or orange, and there are yellow wattles on the head, the shape and position of which vary with species. The sexes are similar, but juveniles have a duller bill.
Like most starlings, the hill mynas are fairly
omnivorousOmnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...
, eating
fruitThe term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants disseminate seeds, and the presence of seeds indicates that a structure is most likely a fruit, though not all seeds come from...
, nectar and
insectInsects are arthropods, having a hard exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet and include more than a million species that are already described. Insects represent more than half of all...
s.
Species
Traditionally, the Sri Lankan Myna was considered a
subspeciesSubspecies in biological classification, is 1) a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, or 2) a taxonomic unit, a taxon in that rank...
of the Common Hill Myna, but today all major authorities recognize them as separate. Comparably, the Enggano, Nias and Southern Hill Mynas have traditionally been treated as subspecies of the Common Hill Myna; a treatment still preferred by some authorities.
- Common Hill Myna, Gracula religiosa
- Southern Hill Myna, Gracula (religiosa) indica
- Enggano Myna
The Enggano Myna or Enggano Hill Myna is a member of the starling family. It is an endemic resident of Enggano Island, off southwest Sumatra.-Description:...
, Gracula enganensis.
- Nias Myna
The Nias Myna or Nias Hill Myna is a member of the starling family. It is an endemic resident of Nias and other nearby islands off western Sumatra.-Description:...
, Gracula robusta
- Sri Lanka Myna
The Sri Lanka Myna, Ceylon Myna or Sri Lanka Hill Myna , is a myna, a member of the starling family. This bird is endemic to Sri Lanka....
, Gracula ptilogenys
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