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Javan Myna – leucistic adult

on 28th May 2012

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS submitted an image of a leucistic adult myna photographed by Colin Mitchell. The bird was spotted on the wall at the carpark entrance to the condominium at Mount Kiara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in March 2012. The equipment used was a Panasonic DMC-ZS10 point-and-shoot camera.

According to Colin, “It ignored me in the car while I took a photo through the drivers window. The moment I opened the window it scooted!”

Amar believes that the bird is possibly a Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus) in view of the fact that they have overrun Kuala Lumpur. Small possibility of a Jungle Myna (A. fuscus).”

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

6 Responses

  1. Does anyone know what the prevalence of this condition in various bird species is? Also, what about their lifespans? Can this myna be expected to live for the same duration as the average, “normal” myna?

  2. Unusual colours appear to be more common in highly inbred populations of introduced species. I had an interest in albino house crows, and kept a couple as pets. The entire Ceylon House Crow (Corvus splendens) population in Singapore and Malaysia is descended from birds deliberately introduced to Klang in the misguided belief that they eat agricultural pests.

    The population now numbers in the tens of thousands. Being heavily inbred, odd-coloured individuals, albino and parti-coloured specimens, do show up with some regularity.

    The Javan Mynah is also an introduced species, and I have noticed albino and leucistic specimens.

    From my experience, the albinos are not really able to fend for themselves. Their eyesight is weak, and the number I have seen, both my own pets and those owned by friends, tend to be undersized. Most were captured shortly after fledging.

    The leucistic individuals (though I have seen mynahs, I have never come across a leucistic crow) appear more capable. But their lack of natural camouflage would put them at a disadvantage with predators.

    1. I have only seen a partially leucistic crow, doing pretty well in the area along with a bald-headed crow. The partial leucistic crow still have enough black on wings to much conceal itself at perch but its pretty whitish at flight, much like a pond heron….

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