A taste of India
AMONG the 124 species of starlings are some of the world’s most attractive birds. And because typically they are extrovert, hardy, easy to maintain and (in many cases) free breeders, they have always been popular in aviculture.
A lovely example is the pagoda starling, also called the black-headed or Brahminy starling or myna (Stumia pagodarum), which is slightly smaller than the European starling. Females have a smaller crest and hackles than the males, and a darker mantle. The name derives from the species’ habit of roosting and breeding in pagodas: the tall, tiered religious temples found throughout India. Its presence at these temples, where flocks often assemble, is encouraged, as the chattering congregation of birds are believed to be reincarnated human souls.
Pagoda starlings share their genus with four other), white-headed or Andaman starling (), chestnut-tailed starling (), and Malabar starling (). (The last mentioned is a new species which, until recently, was classed as a race of white-headed starling.) All have predominantly light grey plumage. Some have feathering around the neck, resembling hackles, but lack the pagoda’s crest and the luxurious, thick hackles on the throat, which extend to the chest in both sexes.
