IDENTITY:
The adult has long loose crest formed by elongate crown feathers. On nape and upper breast, feathers are also hackled. On the head, forehead and crown are glossy black. The nape is cinnamon with fine shaft streaks. This part is often concealed by the long crest feathers. On the upperparts, mantle, back and rump are brownish-grey. On the upperwing, coverts are grey tinged brown, and primaries are dull blackish with some white at base. The tail is grey-brown with white tips except on central pair. The underparts are cinnamon, including the neck sides. On the upper breast, some pale shafts give streaked effect. Flanks, vent and undertail-coverts are greyer. The bill is yellow with bluish base. Eyes are pale greenish-yellow. Legs and feet are yellow. The female is very similar but she has shorter crest and hackles, buffer underparts and grey eyes. The juvenile has browner back and crown, and lacks crest and hackles. It resembles female but it is duller.
HABIT AND HABITED:
The Brahminy Starling occurs in dry open country and lowlands, open deciduous forest, scrub and cultivated areas. It is often seen near habitations and in waterlogged areas.
FOOD:
The Brahminy Starling feeds primarily on insects such as grasshoppers and crickets, cockroaches, termites, bugs, butterflies, moths and caterpillars, flies, ants, bees and beetles. It also takes spiders, snails and earthworms. It consumes plant matter such as fruits and berries from various plant species, flower parts and nectar.
VOICE:
The Brahminy Starling’s calls are harsh shrieks rapidly repeated in series which can be preceded by nasal note. The alarm call is a grating churr uttered in short series. The song is short, a drawn-out gurgling sound, followed by louder bubbling yodel gu-u-weerh-kwurti-kwee-ah.
INFO:
This myna is pale buff creamy with a black cap and a loose crest. The bill is yellow with a bluish base. The iris is pale and there is a bluish patch of skin around the eye. The outer tail feathers have white and the black primaries of the wings do not have any white patches. The adult male has a more prominent crest than the female and also has longer neck hackles. Juveniles are duller and the cap is browner. The species name pagodarum is thought to be based on occurrence of the species on buildings and temple pagodas in southern India
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