Brahminy Starling

Turnia pagodarum, sometimes known as the brahminy starling or brahminy myna, is a bird in the starling family. In open settings on the plains of the Indian subcontinent, it is typically observed in couples or small flocks.

This myna has a loose crest and a black cap. Its color is pale buff milky. With a bluish foundation, the bill is yellow. There is a bluish area of skin surrounding the eye, and the iris is pale. The black primaries of the wings lack any white patches, and the outer tail feathers are white. In addition to having larger neck hackles than the female, the mature male has a more noticeable crest. The cap is browner and the juveniles are duller.

It breeds residently in Nepal and India, visits Sri Lanka in the winter, and spends the summers in several regions of the western and northeastern Himalayas. They have lengthy melodic call notes that consist of a succession of slurred sounds that terminate suddenly.

This passerine is usually found near human habitations and is seen in dry forests, scrub jungles, and farming. They particularly like places with marshy or wet grounds.

The brahminy starling is omnivorous, like most starlings, and feeds on both fruit and insects. The fruits of Thevetia peruviana, which are poisonous to many animals, have been seen to be their food source.  

These birds form small groups and mix with other mynas on grass-covered land; they are not as arboreal as the grey-headed mynas. They may feed next to cows that are grazing.