Common Myna Overview
The common myna is one of Hawaii's most familiar introduced birds. It was brought from India in 1865 to help control insect pests and is now found on all main Hawaiian Islands. These birds are easy to notice in parks, shopping areas, neighborhoods, lawns and open spaces near people.
Adult common mynas are brown with a black head and a bright yellow patch around the eye. Males and females look similar. Their walk is confident, almost bossy, and they are often seen in pairs or noisy groups.
Behavior and Nesting
Common mynas are social birds and often gather in loud flocks, especially near feeding and roosting areas. They eat insects, fruit, small lizards and food scraps, which helps explain why they do so well around towns and visitor areas.
Breeding season usually runs from February to August. Nests are built in tree holes, building cavities and other sheltered spaces. For other easy-to-spot introduced birds in Hawaii, compare the zebra dove, northern cardinal and red-crested cardinal.
