Geographic Range
Gracula religiosa (otherwise known as the Common Hill Myna, Common Grackle, or the Talking Myna)
is native to eastern India, southern China, Indochina, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Phillippines.
This species however has been introduced and successfully established in other areas, particularily
Florida, Hawaii, Japan, and Puerto Rico (Feare, 1999).
Habitat
The Hill myna is found either on hills between 300 and 2000 m. high or at sea level (Feare, 1999).
It prefers areas where rainfall and humidity are both high, therefore inhabiting most of the jungles,
evergreen, and wet deciduous forests in its range. The myna is common at forest edges,
clearings or thinned areas, and cultivated areas such as coffee plantations (Feare, 1999).
Physical Description
The Hill myna averages 27-30 cm in length. It has a glossy black appearance with feathers that vary
in undertone. The crown, nape, and breast has a purple glow while the rest of the body is tinted with
green and the tail is polished turquoise. The wings are black with a white patch on primaries 3-9.
The face consists of a red bill that fades into a yellow hooked tip and fleshy wattles, or flaps of
bare skin, that extend out to the middle of the nape (Feare, 1984).
Reproduction
The breeding season for the Hill myna varies slightly depending on range, but most breed in April-July.
A monogamous pair searches for a small hole in a tree at the forest edge. Both sexes fill the hole with
twigs, leaves, and feathers (Feare, 1999) and the female produces ~2 eggs that are blue with brownish
spottings. The female spends more time incubating than the male, however, both parents tend the young
equally when they hatch. The young fledge after a month and soon after the parents begin a new clutch.
The Hill myna averages 2-3 broods annually (Anonymous, 2000).
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