BRAHMINY MYNA ,BRAHMINY STARLING OR KARINTHALACHIKKALI
BRAHMINY STARLING
It was a sultry day of Meenamasam.Though the back yard was close to the agricultural fields; it bore a barren look because of the excessive heat of the sun..I reached there to see if the mangoes were ripe enough.!when I reached the plot at Manissery near Ottappalam, the birds were renewing the world with songs. Most of them were familiar sounds.
BRAHMINY STARLING
I felt some thing strange… a pair of pale mynas have a musical call notes that are made up of a long slurred notes that ended abruptly. I spotted two myna like birds.I could n’t recognize them.They flitted across the branches, and returned to the hole on the teak tree close to the house. One of them slipped into the hole ,the other skimmed through the air .. After some time the other returned to the hole on the `teak tree with worms and food stuff in its beak.
BRAHMINY STARLING
Later both of them flew down and sat on the ground seeking food.if the Orioles sat on ground treasure hunters used to mark the space , so that they may get a specific clue to dig out treasure.!They walk in small steps around the termite mounts peck at it.Being omnivorous, insects are included in its staple food.I have seen two types of mynas only.They are jungle myna and common myna.it,s different in colour !
Stumia Pagodarum
We know as per the Goglers rule ;the birds of north western region have paler colours comparing the southern counter parts , I thought,there is no bright yellow patch behind the eye.!The head is black hooded in the case of common myna!common myna is adapted to the urban environment,but this fowl’s bill is not yellow at the base.It doesnt have white and black primaries of the wings. common mynas builds nests in tree holes.Later my ornithologist friend recognized it as Brahminy starlling’.
BRAHMINY MYNA ,BRAHMINY STARLING OR KARINTHALACHIKKALI
King fishers ,Parrots.Orioles,Paradise fly catcher,Roller at flight and Herons under line their presence through the marvelous colours..They are like air flowers bloom on foliage.Swallows steal the show by cutting through the air! Magpie robin winnows the tail.Indian Koel , Indian Cuckoo and Common hawk Cuckoo,
BRAHMINY MYNA
…they enchant us with their mellifluous sound.Brahminy starlings has nothing to boast of We call that brahminy starling, .Brahminy myna or Karinthalachikkali. As the Malayalam word suggest this myana had a distinct shining black cap and a loose crest. This bird is as big as the mynas and pale brown in colour.This pesserine has a fancy for dry forests,scrub jungle and water logged areas,these birds sit on ground while searching food. .They visit flowers for nectar.
BRAHMINY MYNA
.Karinthalachikkali builds nests in tree holes.Breeding season is march to september.The nest is usually lined with feathers and rags.Brahminy mynas is not so common in the western blocks of Palghat distrist.