The crested myna (Acridotheres cristatellus), also known as the Chinese starling, is a species of starling in the genus Acridotheres native to southeastern China and Indochina. It is named after the tuft of feathers on its forehead that resembles a crest. It is a popular cage bird and, as a result, has been accidentally released in a few places outside of its usual range.
Like many starlings, the crested myna is omnivorous. When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he placed the crested myna with the other mynas in the genus Gracula. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Gracula cristatella and cited Edwards' work. The specific epithet cristatella is a Latin diminutive of cristatus meaning
"crested" or "plumed". The crested myna is now placed in the genus Acridotheres that was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot. It was previously placed in the genus Aethiospar, which included the mynas that had a fully feathered or tufted face. The bird was discovered breeding around Lisbon, Portugal in 1997.
Behaviour
Vocalization
The crested myna has a wide array of songs and calls, from whistles to warbles to chortles. When alarmed, it emits a raspy jaaay.