Hill Myna of Bangladesh - Common Hill Myna
The hill myna is a medium-sized black bird with dark brown eyes. Its beak is strong and yellow, with an orange tip. Its feet and claws are yellow. Both male and female birds look the same. During the breeding season, their heads and necks have a light purple sheen.
In Bangladesh, people fall asleep to the calls of birds and wake up to their songs. This country is home to many species of birds. Among them is the hill myna or common myna, which is very beautiful. They are also known as the golden myna. They inhabit a vast region around the world.
The hill myna is a medium-sized black bird with dark brown eyes. Its beak is strong and yellow, with an orange tip. Its feet and claws are yellow. Both male and female birds look the same. During the breeding season, their heads and necks have a light purple sheen.
Hill mynas usually roam in moist deciduous and evergreen forests and tea gardens. They prefer dense forests in hilly areas and move around in groups. In our country, they are mostly seen in mixed evergreen forests and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Generally, they move in flocks and sit on treetops, calling out. Their calls increase at dawn and dusk.
The hill myna feeds on various insects, juicy fruits, and flower nectar. They forage for food around forest edges, cultivated fields, or trees.
Male and female hill mynas pair for life. Their bond remains unbroken until one partner dies. Their breeding season is from April to July. During this time, they build nests in tree hollows about 10 to 15 meters high using grass, feathers, and twigs. They lay two to three eggs, which hatch in about two weeks. The average lifespan of a hill myna is 1.8 to 3.5 years.
Among caged birds, the hill myna is very popular. They can mimic human speech perfectly and are in high demand worldwide. People often capture them along with their parents from large tree cavities. This disrupts their breeding, causing their numbers to decrease over the past few decades.
Wild birds are best left in the wild. Therefore, hill mynas should not be caged but allowed to roam freely. Public awareness must be increased. Strict enforcement of laws is needed to stop hunting, capturing, and selling these birds. Only then can the hill myna, a jewel of nature, continue to thrive in our environment.
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