Taxonomic name: Acridotheres fuscus (Wagler, 1827)
Synonyms:
Common names: brun maina (Danish), dschungelmaina (German), jungle myna, junglemaina (Dutch), maina della giungla indiana (Italian), mainá hindú (Spanish), majna hnedá (Czech), majna szara (Polish), martin forestier (French), morihakka (Japanese), viidakkomaina (Finnish)
Organism type: bird Acridotheres fuscus is native to India and south-east Asia and is now established in many Pacific islands. Acridotherea can be translated as “grasshopper hunter” - presumably an indication of its major food source in some parts of its native region. It is perceived as a problem to agricultural sectors dependant on crops. Both rural villages and urban areas are at risk of invasion. They feed off rubbish and food scraps and nest in any available spaces in houses and buildings. This behaviour and their close association with human habitations combine to cause a wide variety of problems for humans. Description
The jungle myna (Acridotheres fuscus) is a 22 to 24cm grey-brownish bird with a tuft of feathers forming a small crest on the forehead and at the base of the bill which is not normally present on the common Indian myna (Acridotheres tristis). It has a black head with the upper areas being more grey-brown and the chin, breast and belly dark ashy-grey. It has a whitish underside, brownish wings and a typical yellow-orange beak. The jungle myna is sleeker than the common Indian myna and lacks the distinguishing yellow patch of skin on the posterior side of the eye. Interestingly, the colour of its iris is yellow in northern India, whereas in southern India, its bluish-white (Feare and Craig, 1999). Similar Species
Acridotheres javanicus, Acridotheres tristis
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Habitat description
Jungle mynas (Acridotheres fuscus) are known to inhabit altitudes as high 2000m above sea level. However, they prefer lowlands and foothills of well-wooded deciduous, spacious areas which primarily includes tea plantations, villages and coastal plains (Feare & Craig 1999). General impacts
Jungle mynas (Acridotheres fuscus) may affect growers of commercial crops due to their love of fruit (Atkinson & Atkinson, 2000). In addition, there is concerns that this species may compete for nest sites with native species. Uses
Mynas are scavengers (Hails 1985, Kang et al. 1990). They can also kill numerous injurious insects, such as sheep and cattle ticks (Oliver 1955, Roots 1976). Geographical range
Native range: Extends from west Pakistan through to the lower Himalayas and parts of Nepal as well as the majority of the South-East Asia reaching as far as central Malaysia.
Known introduced range: Acridotheres fuscus are established in many Pacific Islands including Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. Introduction pathways to new locations
Acclimatisation societies:
Taken to botanical garden/zoo:
Local dispersal methods
Escape from confinement:
Natural dispersal (local): Escaped mynas breed in the wild. Management information
Poisons such as avicides (starlacide DRC1339) were used against the jungle myna (Acridotheres fuscus) with highly promising outcomes, in contrast to narcotics (Alphachloralose), herbicide and pesticide. Trapping is a commonly employed tactic. A variety of foraging traps are used. These include the Tidemann trap, decoy trap and the Kadavu trap. In addition, shooting and netting methods are sometimes used (Pierce, 2005). Nutrition
Mynas are scavengers with a varied omnivorous diet consisting of insects, fruit, seeds and nectar. Mynas also devour insect pests on sheep and cattle, such as ticks (Oliver 1955, Roots 1976). Analysis showed that their stomach content consisted predominantly of grasshopper remains, as well as crickets, termites, beetles, ants, caterpillars and fly larvae. (Hails 1985; Kang et al. 1990; Feare & Craig 1999). Reproduction
In southern India, breeding occurs during the months between February to May, while in the northern regions, April to June-July (Feare & Craig 1999). Typically, two broods are raised at one time with the clutch being 3-6 eggs in size. It is known that both sexes participate in the rearing of their young (Feare & Craig 1999). Reviewed by: Dr. Charlotte Yap Aye May and Dr. Navjot S Sodhi, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore. Singapore Principal sources: Atkinson, I. A. E. and Atkinson, T. J. 2000. Land vertebrates as invasive species on islands served by SPREP In: Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy. Sherley G. (ed.) South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP). Apia, Samoa.
Compiled by: IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG)
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Last Modified: Wednesday, 19 July 2006
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