Bank Myna

The Bank Myna is a common songbird of the Indian subcontinent, named for its habit of nesting in burrows dug into earthen riverbanks. It is closely related to the Common Myna but shows a distinctly bluish-gray body with warmer brick-toned underparts and a small patch of bare orange-red skin behind the eye rather than a bare yellow patch.

Flight feathers: bluish-gray with a white patch at the base of the primaries, forming a wing flash similar to other mynas in this genus. Tail feathers: bluish-gray with a pale tip. Body feathers: bluish-gray overall with a glossy black cap, warm brick-orange to rufous underparts, and a small patch of bare orange-red skin behind the eye (not feathered), along with an orange-yellow bill. The bluish-gray tone combined with brick-colored underparts distinguishes Bank Myna feathers from the browner Common Myna and the grayer Jungle Myna.

Sexes look alike. Adults show bluish-gray body plumage, a glossy black cap, brick-orange underparts, a white wing patch, and bare orange-red skin behind the eye. Juveniles are duller and grayer overall with reduced brick tones and a less developed bare skin patch, gaining full adult coloration with maturity. There is no strong seasonal plumage variation.

Bank Mynas are found across the Indian subcontinent, favoring riverbanks, agricultural land, and towns, often nesting colonially in burrows excavated into earthen cliffs or riverbanks. The species is generally resident, with local movements tied to water levels and food availability.

This myna forages on the ground and in cultivated fields, taking insects, other invertebrates, and grain, often in the company of livestock or other mynas. Unlike most mynas, it nests colonially in burrows dug into earthen banks rather than in tree cavities. Calls include a range of chattering and gurgling notes typical of the genus, often given by groups foraging or roosting together.