Indian Pied Starling

Indian Pied Starling

Gracupica contra

Silhouette: Rafael Maia · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Patna

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

68 Verified sightings at Patna
7,631 In all 17 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Indian Pied Starling

The Indian pied myna (Gracupica contra) is a species of starling found in the Indian subcontinent. It is usually found in small groups mainly on the plains and low foothills. It is often seen within cities and villages although it is not as bold as the common myna. It produces a range of calls made up of liquid notes.

The Indian pied myna was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Sturnus contra. Linnaeus based his description on the "Contra, from Bengall" that had been described and illustrated in 1738 by Eleazar Albin and the "Black and White Indian Starling" that had been described and illustrated in 1751 by George Edwards. Albin believed that "contra" was the Bengali word for this species, but this name was not known in the 19th century. Linnaeus specified the type locality as India but this was restricted to Calcutta by the British ornithologist E. C. Stuart Baker in 1921. In the past the Indian pied myna has been included in the genera Sturnus and Sturnopastor but based on results from molecular phylogenetic analysis published in 2008 it is now placed in the resurrected... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:16

Thailand · 2025

© smathichong · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:09

India · 2026

© shivani_jakhodia · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:24

India · 2023

© bomby_garu · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
2 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
3 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~50%
4 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~40%
5 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
6 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
7 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
8 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
9 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
10 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
11 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
12 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
13 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
14 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
15 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
16 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
17 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hajipur 🇮🇳 India
~90%
2 Dubai 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
~80%
3 Chattogram 🇧🇩 Bangladesh
~80%
4 Dhaka 🇧🇩 Bangladesh
~70%
5 Jamshedpur 🇮🇳 India
~70%
6 Vasai-Virar 🇮🇳 India
~70%
7 Savar 🇧🇩 Bangladesh
~70%
8 Ranchi 🇮🇳 India
~70%
9 Berhampore 🇮🇳 India
~60%
10 Guwahati 🇮🇳 India
~60%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Singapore Zoo 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
2 Bird Paradise 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
3 Rainforest Wild Asia 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Indian Pied Starling in Patna?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Pied Starling sighting in Patna on a given day, based on 68 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 14th most-seen of the 79 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Indian Pied Starling in Patna?

September

In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Pied Starling in Patna on a given day, against about 30% in June, October and December, the lowest months. That is one of Patna's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain against almost none in November. January and August have too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see an Indian Pied Starling?

Between 6 and 9 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Indian Pied Starling 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 Patna the best place to see an Indian Pied Starling?

17th of 53

Of the 53 cities where we can rate Indian Pied Starling sightings, Patna ranks 17th at about 40%. The best odds are in Hajipur (India, about 90%), Dubai (United Arab Emirates, about 80%) and Chattogram (Bangladesh, about 80%).

Which relatives of the Indian Pied Starling live in Patna?

Same family: Sturnidae

The closest relatives of the Indian Pied Starling that you can see in Patna (family Sturnidae, Starlings) are Bank Myna (about 10%), Brahminy Starling (about 10%) and Chestnut-tailed Starling (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Indian Pied Starling sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Indian Pied Starling is recorded against all the birds logged in Patna (68 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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