Bali Myna Fact File
Appearance
Bali Myna’s have a coat of white feathers covering most of their body. The wing and tail tips have black feather’s. Around the eyes and the legs are bare patches of skin which are blue. Their bill is coloured yellow. Extending down the back of the head is a crest of white feathers.
They measure 25cm (10 in) long. Their weight comes in between 70 and 115g (2 and 4oz).
Diet
The Bali myna is an omnivore. Much of this species diet consists of insects including ants, termites and grasshoppers. They will also eat small reptiles and fruits.
Most of their foraging is conducted in the trees. When they are sighted on the ground it is often during the chick rearing period.
Range
Indonesia is the native home of the Bali myna. Here they can only be found on the island of Bali.
Due to loss of habitat their range is currently restricted to just the Bali Barat National Park.
Scientific Name
Leucopsar rothschildi
Conservation Status
Critically Endangered
Height
25cm (10in)
Weight
7-115g (2-4oz)
Lifespan
Wild - 7.4 years
Captive - 20 years
Diet
Omnivore
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Habitat
They make their home in the woodlands, deciduous forest, tree savannas and on occasion within a coconut grove.
Reproduction
Breeding takes place from January to April during the rainy season. A male will court a female through a display which involves raising the crest on its head and bobbing it body which the beak is pointed at the sky. He then performs a series of trills, hisses and chirps with the chest expanded and ruffled plumage. The display is finished by spreading the tail like a fan.
A receptive female indicates her acceptance of the male by displaying and preening the male.
Once a pair mate they will bond for life. This is strengthened as time goes on through mutual preening and displaying.
Their nest is formed in a tree cavity using grass, leaves and twigs. Here they will deposit between 2 and 3 pale blue eggs. The mother is responsible for most of the duty of sitting on the nest during the 12-15-day incubation process. It is unusual for all the hatchlings to survive to fledgling.
Nestlings hatch with eyes closed and without feathers. The parents will bring them food in the nest. Fledgling occurs at 15-25 days old. Feeding by the parents will continue for the next few weeks.
Sexual maturity is achieved at one year old.
Behavior
The Bali myna carries out a range of calls. When taking off they make a ‘creer’ sound. Their alarm call sounds like ‘tschick, tschick, tschick.’
When not breeding the Bali myna will spend their time in flocks of 20-30. This allows them to better see predators and other dangers.
A major threat to the survival of the Bali myna is poaching for the illegal bird trade. They are so rare that they are seen as a status symbol in a collection so they command a high price which can sustain a poacher’s family for years.
Quick facts
The Bali myna is the official bird of Bali. It is also the only endemic bird.
It is also referred to as the Bali Starling, white starling and was formerly known as the Rothschild’s grackle after Lord Walter Rothschild who financed the trip on which these were found.
It was discovered during 1912 .
Photo Credits
Top
By en:User:Cburnett (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons
Middle
By Woldere (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Bottom
By KCZooFan from Olathe, KS, U.S.A (Bali Mynah Uploaded by snowmanradio) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
References
BirdLife International 2018. Leucopsar rothschildi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22710912A129874226. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22710912A129874226.en. Downloaded on 04 April 2020.
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