Sri Lanka Myna
Encyclopedia
The Sri Lanka Myna, Ceylon Myna or Sri Lanka Hill Myna (Gracula ptilogenys), is a myna
, a member of the starling
family. This bird is endemic
to Sri Lanka
.
This passerine
is typically found in forest and cultivation. The Sri Lanka Myna builds a nest in a hole. The normal clutch is two egg
s.
These 25 cm long birds have green-glossed black plumage
, purple-tinged on the head and neck. There are large white wing patches, which are obvious in flight. The strong legs are bright yellow, and there are yellow wattles on the nape.
The different shape and position of the wattles and the stouter orange-red bill distinguish this species from the Southern Hill Myna, which also occurs in Sri Lankan forests. The sexes are similar, but juveniles have a duller bill.
Like most starlings, the Sri Lanka Myna is fairly omnivorous
, eating fruit
, nectar and insect
s.
, this bird is known in many names including Sela lihiniya, Mal kawadiya, Kampatiya in Sinhala Language. The name Sela Lihiniya is often mentioned in poems and other similar literature and is quoted for its melodious calls. This bird appears in a 10 rupee
Sri Lanka
n postal stamp.
Myna
The myna is a bird of the starling family . This is a group of passerine birds which occur naturally only in southern and eastern Asia...
, a member of the starling
Starling
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent...
family. This bird is endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
This passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
is typically found in forest and cultivation. The Sri Lanka Myna builds a nest in a hole. The normal clutch is two egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s.
These 25 cm long birds have green-glossed black plumage
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
, purple-tinged on the head and neck. There are large white wing patches, which are obvious in flight. The strong legs are bright yellow, and there are yellow wattles on the nape.
The different shape and position of the wattles and the stouter orange-red bill distinguish this species from the Southern Hill Myna, which also occurs in Sri Lankan forests. The sexes are similar, but juveniles have a duller bill.
Like most starlings, the Sri Lanka Myna is fairly omnivorous
Omnivore
Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...
, eating fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, nectar and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s.
In Culture
In Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, this bird is known in many names including Sela lihiniya, Mal kawadiya, Kampatiya in Sinhala Language. The name Sela Lihiniya is often mentioned in poems and other similar literature and is quoted for its melodious calls. This bird appears in a 10 rupee
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n postal stamp.
