About Acridotheres javanicus Cabanis, 1851
The Javan myna (Acridotheres javanicus Cabanis, 1851) is a stocky, medium-sized bird, with a length of 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in) and an approximate weight of 100 g (3.5 oz). Its plumage is mostly black with a faint glossy sheen. The wings are brownish-black, and the primary feathers have white bases that form a noticeable white wing bar that can be seen when the bird is in flight. A white tail bar is also visible during flight. Its undertail coverts are white, which gives the species its alternative common name, "white-vented myna". A short, upright crest sits on the bird's forehead. The beak, legs, and feet are all bright yellow, and the iris is lemon-yellow. This lemon-yellow iris distinguishes the Javan myna from the closely related common myna (A. tristis), which has a brown iris. Immature Javan mynas are browner and duller in color than adult birds, with less prominent crests and paler beaks, legs, and feet. The Javan myna is native to Java and Bali in Indonesia. Within its native range, the species has suffered large population declines because of heavy trapping to supply the cage-bird trade. It is now uncommon to rare in many areas where it was once abundant. The species has been introduced to many locations across Asia and beyond, both deliberately and accidentally through escaped cage birds. Introduced locations include: in Southeast Asia, southeastern Thailand, southern Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, and the Lesser Sunda Islands; in East Asia, Taiwan and Japan; in South Asia, Nepal; and in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico. The Javan myna is strongly linked to human-altered habitats, and lives mainly in cities, towns, and cultivated agricultural areas. It adapts easily to urban environments, and is often seen in parks, gardens, hawker centres, and other areas where food is accessible.
