Asian pied starling looking for titbits, Jaipur

The pied myna or Asian pied starling is a species of starling found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are usually found in small groups mainly on the plains and low foothills. They are often seen within cities and villages although they are not as bold as the common myna. They produce a range of calls made up of liquid notes. Several slight plumage variations exist in the populations. This myna is strikingly marked in black and white and has a yellowish bill with a reddish bill base. The bare skin around the eye is reddish. The upper body, throat and breast are black while the cheek, lores, wing coverts and rump are contrastingly white. The sexes are similar in plumage but young birds have dark brown in place of black.

They have also adapted well to urban living and are often seen in cities and villages, and are generally seen in small groups. In urban environments, they are becoming so abundant that they are considered pests by many human residents. Pied Mynas are omnivorous and can often be seen foraging in fields, lawns, open ground and in grazing land amongst cattle. They feed on grains, fruit, insects, earthworms, spiders and molluscs. IUCN (2006) listed them recently as among “100 of the World’s Most Invasive Species”. It is classified as  Least concern by IUCN.