{"id":55072,"date":"2018-08-07T00:01:31","date_gmt":"2018-08-06T16:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/?p=55072"},"modified":"2023-06-24T16:54:05","modified_gmt":"2023-06-24T08:54:05","slug":"how-the-urban-jungle-drives-evolution-2-javan-mynas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2018\/08\/07\/how-the-urban-jungle-drives-evolution-2-javan-mynas\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution: 2. Javan Mynas"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_55073\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-55073\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2018\/08\/07\/how-the-urban-jungle-drives-evolution-2-javan-mynas\/mynaj-kitchen-yc-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-55073\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-kitchen-yc-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-55073\" srcset=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-kitchen-yc-1.jpg 590w, https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-kitchen-yc-1-300x168.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-55073\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A pair of Javan Mynas in my kitchen &#8211; video grab.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On 5th August 2018 I managed to video-document a pair of Javan Mynas (<em>Acridotheres javanicus<\/em>) sneaking into my kitchen to steal food (see video below). This followed a few weeks of chasing them away after their daily forays into the kitchen <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2018\/06\/19\/javan-myna-stealing-food\/\">LINK<\/a>. Only closing the kitchen window and door kept them away.<\/p>\n<p><iframe width=\"590\" height=\"330\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tor2M34DiBQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Invading houses to seek food, just like the Long-tailed macaques (<em>Macaca fascicularis<\/em>) have been doing for years, shows that these Javan Mynas have indeed adapted well to city life in Singapore. After all, what more are they capable of\u2026 I suppose time will tell.<\/p>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_55074\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-55074\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2018\/08\/07\/how-the-urban-jungle-drives-evolution-2-javan-mynas\/mynajv-nodding-wyc-1\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-55074\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJv-nodding-wyc-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"271\" class=\"size-full wp-image-55074\" srcset=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJv-nodding-wyc-1.jpg 590w, https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJv-nodding-wyc-1-300x138.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-55074\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A group of Javan Mynas resting on top of a front gate in the neighbourhood.<\/figcaption><\/figure>a<\/p>\n<p>The Javan Myna is presumed to have descended from cage-birds originating in Java. A feral population was present in Singapore as far back as 1925 (Wang &#038; Hails, 2007). Through the years its population has increased so much so that currently it is the commonest resident bird in Singapore.<\/p>\n<p>Why is the Javan Myna so successful in our urban environment?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_32003\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32003\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2013\/05\/04\/javan-myna-eats-elaeis-guineensis-fruit\/mynaj-oil-palm-fr-jwee\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-32003\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-oil-palm-fr-JWee.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"457\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32003\" srcset=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-oil-palm-fr-JWee.jpg 590w, https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-oil-palm-fr-JWee-300x232.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32003\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Javan Myna with oil palm fruit &#8211; photo by Johnny Wee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It is an opportunistic feeder, so finding food is no problem. It eats most fruits, from soft fleshy <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2007\/01\/11\/koel-bulbul-myna-and-noni\/\">noni<\/a> (<em>Morinda citrifolia<\/em>) to the hard and fibrous <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2013\/05\/04\/javan-myna-eats-elaeis-guineensis-fruit\/\">oil palm fruits<\/a> (<em>Elaeis guineensis<\/em>). It also takes honey from <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2013\/11\/17\/leucistic-javan-myna-feeding-on-xanthostemon-chrysanthus-flowers\/\">flowers<\/a> as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2013\/09\/07\/javan-myna-eats-dwarf-white-bauhinia-flower-petal\/\">flower petals<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_55079\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-55079\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2018\/08\/07\/how-the-urban-jungle-drives-evolution-2-javan-mynas\/mynaj-spottedhousegecko-chanyokemeng-1-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-55079\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-SpottedHouseGecko-ChanYokeMeng-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"391\" class=\"size-full wp-image-55079\" srcset=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-SpottedHouseGecko-ChanYokeMeng-1-1.jpg 590w, https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-SpottedHouseGecko-ChanYokeMeng-1-1-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-55079\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Javan Myna caught a Spotted House Gecko &#8211; photo by Chan Yoke Meng.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Its invertebrate food includes <e href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2017\/11\/12\/javan-myna-eats-millipedes-instead-of-anting-with-them\/\">millipedes<\/a>, earthworms, various insects and their <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2017\/09\/05\/javan-mynas-feeding-on-coconut-rhinoceros-beetle-larvae\/\">larvae<\/a> as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2015\/05\/22\/javan-myna-caught-a-spotted-house-gecko\/\">spotted house gecko<\/a> (<em>Gekko monarchus<\/em>) that is plentiful. In hawker centres and open-air restaurants, it boldly takes <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2018\/02\/02\/three-friends-and-a-plate-of-scraps\/\">leftover food<\/a> even before diners leave the table. Now it even enters homes to steal food.<\/p>\n<p>It does not fear humans. You can approach it within half a meter before it flies off. With patience you can even <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2011\/10\/15\/hand-feeding-of-wild-javan-mynas\/\">hand feed<\/a> the bird.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_47551\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47551\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2016\/08\/20\/javan-myna-and-grass-cutting\/mynaj-grass-cutter\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-47551\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-grass-cutter.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"445\" class=\"size-full wp-image-47551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-grass-cutter.jpg 590w, https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-grass-cutter-300x226.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-47551\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Javan Myna waiting for arthropods to be exposed when someone is weeding the garden.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Whenever my helper or myself is working in the garden weeding or working in the compost pit, there will always be a pair waiting for an opportunity to pick on insects, earthworms, etc. that I disturb or unearth <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2016\/08\/20\/javan-myna-and-grass-cutting\/\">LINK<\/a>. Similarly, there will always be a few Javan Mynas around whenever <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2007\/04\/17\/foraging-behaviour-of-mynas\/\">grass cutters<\/a> are at work. This myna will also raid food placed inside cages meant for the cage-bird\/s <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2013\/05\/26\/javan-myna-behaviour\/\">LINK<\/a>. It has also been known to <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2016\/04\/28\/javan-mynas-picking-ticks-from-a-dog\/\">move all over a dog<\/a>, even probing its thick hairs in order to pick ticks off the dog\u2019s nose.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_55086\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-55086\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2018\/08\/07\/how-the-urban-jungle-drives-evolution-2-javan-mynas\/wild-boar-myna-adrianlim-1\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-55086\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wild-boar-myna-Adrianlim-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"456\" class=\"size-full wp-image-55086\" srcset=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wild-boar-myna-Adrianlim-1.jpg 590w, https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wild-boar-myna-Adrianlim-1-300x232.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-55086\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Javan Mynas associating with Wild Boars &#8211; photo by Adrian Lim.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In rural areas Javan Mynas commonly follow foraging <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2009\/02\/01\/javan-mynas-and-wild-boars\/\">wild boars<\/a> or even <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2010\/02\/09\/jungle-myna-cattle-egret-association-with-water-buffalo\/\">water buffaloes<\/a>, to catch insects disturbed by these animals moving around.<\/p>\n<p>Javan Myna is also bold as well as aggressive. It has been known to harass <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2006\/11\/06\/cats-dogs-squirrels-and-javan-mynas\/\">cats and dogs<\/a>, to the extent of stealing food meant for the latter. It even harass the large <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2011\/02\/19\/javan-mynas-harassing-a-monitor-lizard\/\">Clouded Monitor Lizard<\/a> (<em>Varanus nebulosus<\/em>).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_52550\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52550\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2017\/12\/04\/two-javan-mynas-bullying-another\/mynaj-fight-kctsang\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-52550\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-fight-KCTsang-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"472\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-fight-KCTsang-1.jpg 590w, https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-fight-KCTsang-1-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52550\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Javan Mynas in a fight &#8211; photo by KC Tsang.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Javan Mynas can be very noisy, especially when rival gangs fight for the possession of food, maintain territorial space, etc. <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2011\/04\/03\/javan-mynas-in-\u201cgangster\u201d-fight-\u2013-on-video\/\">LINK<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2017\/12\/04\/two-javan-mynas-bullying-another\/\">LINK<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>These birds will nest in whatever available space or cavity it can find\u2026 under the <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2017\/11\/29\/javan-mynas-foraging-for-chicks-in-the-nest\/\">roof of buildings<\/a>, in <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2007\/01\/21\/javan-myna\/\">electrical boxes<\/a>, etc.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40901\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-40901\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2015\/07\/26\/javan-mynas-anting-with-millipedes\/mynaj-anting-millipede-kwongwaichong-5\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-40901\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-anting-millipede-KwongWaiChong-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"787\" class=\"size-full wp-image-40901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-anting-millipede-KwongWaiChong-5.jpg 590w, https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MynaJ-anting-millipede-KwongWaiChong-5-224x300.jpg 224w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-40901\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Javan Myna anting with millipede &#8211; photo by Kwong Wai Chong.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is one of the easiest bird to witness anting, either with <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2010\/07\/26\/javan-myna-anting-photographic-documentation\/\">ants<\/a> or with a <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2015\/07\/26\/javan-mynas-anting-with-millipedes\/\">millipede<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_49579\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-49579\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2017\/03\/26\/crested-goshawk-caught-a-javan-myna\/1-goshawkcr-myna-jonathankuah\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-49579\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-GoshawkCr-myna-JonathanKuah.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"394\" class=\"size-full wp-image-49579\" srcset=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-GoshawkCr-myna-JonathanKuah.jpg 590w, https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-GoshawkCr-myna-JonathanKuah-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-49579\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crested Goshawk caught a Javan Myna &#8211; photo by Jonathan Kuah.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Because Javan Myna is so common, many are preyed upon by <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2017\/03\/26\/crested-goshawk-caught-a-javan-myna\/\">raptors<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>There are still much to learn about the behavior of this myna but because it is a common bird, birdwatchers and photographers generally ignore it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>YC Wee<\/strong><br \/>\nSingapore<br \/>\n5th August 2018<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reference:<\/strong><br \/>\nWang, L.K. &#038; C. J. Hails, 2007. An annotated checklist of birds of Singapore. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement 15: 1-179.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> This series of posts is inspired by Menno Schilthuizen\u2019s book \u201cDarwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution\u201d \u2013 2018, Quercus Editions Ltd., London. 352pp. &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2018\/03\/01\/book-review-darwin-comes-to-town-how-the-urban-jungle-drives-evolution-by-menno-schilthuizen\/\">LINK<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 5th August 2018 I managed to video-document a pair of Javan Mynas (Acridotheres javanicus) sneaking into my kitchen to steal food (see video below). This followed a few weeks of chasing them away after their daily forays into the kitchen LINK. Only closing the kitchen window and door kept them away. Invading houses to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":55073,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55072"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55072\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}