Bank Myna

The bank myna is a myna of the northern parts of South Asia, smaller than but similar in colouration to the common myna, differing in having brick-red naked skin behind the eyes instead of yellow. It is greyer on the underside and, with a slight tuft of feathers, bears some resemblance to the jungle myna; young birds have a browner head and neck. It is found in flocks on the plains of northern and central India, often within towns and cities, and its range appears to be extending southwards (Wikipedia, general species account).

The name derives from its habit of nesting almost exclusively in the earthen banks of rivers, where it excavates burrows, the egg chamber sometimes 4 to 7 feet from the entrance, and breeds in large colonies; colonies have been found in Assam. Bank mynas forage in flocks, breed colonially and roost together in trees, with a wide range of calls including clucks, croaks, screeches, whistles and warbling elements. In one study about 38% of eggs hatched into young that fledged. SoIB 2023 treats it as endemic to the Indian subcontinent and rates it a High conservation priority, with a Large range of about 974,000 km², a decline of about 36% over the long term and a rapid current decline of about 5% a year (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).