Crested Myna

Crested Myna

Acridotheres cristatellus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Changzhou

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

9 Verified sightings at Changzhou
111 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Crested Myna

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.

The crested myna is typically found in open spaces near urban and agricultural areas. It is a popular cage bird and, as a result, has been accidentally released in a few places outside of its usual range. For example, this species was introduced around 1890 into the Vancouver region of British Columbia. It was initially successful, reaching a population in the thousands, however, it has since then gone locally extinct in the area.

Like many starlings, the crested myna is omnivorous. It will eat a variety of food including worms, grubs, grains, fruit, and even garbage. It is a highly beneficial bird to farmers, as it feeds on insects and does not attack crops.

In 1743 the English naturalist George Edwards included a picture and a description of the crested myna in his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "Chinese starling or Black Bird". When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:05

China · 2025

© Bo Shunqi 薄顺奇 · XC1180642 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Begging call0:27

China · 2024

© Bo Shunqi薄顺奇 · XC909434 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:13

Philippines · 2024

© Greg Irving · XC896894 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
2 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Suzhou 🇨🇳 China
~80%
2 Nanchang 🇨🇳 China
~80%
3 Tuen Mun 🇨🇳 China
~60%
4 Xiuying District 🇨🇳 China
~60%
5 Quanzhou 🇨🇳 China
~60%
6 Xiamen City 🇨🇳 China
~50%
7 Guangzhou 🇨🇳 China
~40%
8 Wuhan 🇨🇳 China
~40%
9 Cebu City 🇵🇭 Philippines
~40%
10 Shanghai 🇨🇳 China
~40%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Prague Zoo 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
2 Walsrode World Bird Park 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
3 Beijing Wildlife Park 🇨🇳 China In captivity
4 Taipei Zoo 🇹🇼 Taiwan In captivity
5 Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China In captivity
6 Shanghai Zoo 🇨🇳 China In captivity
7 Fonghuanggu Bird and Ecology Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan In captivity
8 Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center 🇵🇭 Philippines In captivity
9 Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens 🇨🇳 China In captivity
10 Santillana Zoo 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
11 Selwo Marina 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
12 Edward Youde Aviary 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China In captivity
13 Rákosův pavilon 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
14 Velemlokárium 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Crested Myna in Changzhou?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Myna sighting in Changzhou on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 8th most-seen of the 17 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

What time of day is best to see a Crested Myna?

Between 2 and 5 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Crested Myna sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Changzhou the best place to see a Crested Myna?

23rd of 46

Of the 46 cities where we can rate Crested Myna sightings, Changzhou ranks 23rd at about 30%. The best odds are in Suzhou (China, about 80%), Nanchang (China, about 80%) and Tuen Mun (China, about 60%).

Which relatives of the Crested Myna live in Changzhou?

Same family: Sturnidae

The closest relatives of the Crested Myna that you can see in Changzhou (family Sturnidae, Starlings) are White-cheeked Starling (about 20%) and Red-billed Starling (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Crested Myna sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Crested Myna is recorded against all the birds logged in Changzhou (9 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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