Gracula

The genus Gracula was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=Carl | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | year=1758 | title= Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | volume=1 | edition=10th | page=108 | publisher=Laurentii Salvii | location=Holmiae (Stockholm) | language=Latin | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/727013 }} The genus name is from Latin graculus, an unknown bird sometimes identified as the western jackdaw.{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=176 }} Of the seven species listed by Linnaeus, George Gray designated the common hill myna (Gracula religiosa) as the type species.{{ cite book | last=Gray | first=George Robert | author-link=George Robert Gray | year=1840 | title=A List of the Genera of Birds : with an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus | location=London | publisher=R. and J.E. Taylor | page=39 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13668933 }}{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Greenway | editor2-first=James C. Jr | year=1962 | title=Check-list of birds of the world | volume=15 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=118 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14485491 }}

Until recently only two species were recognised, G. religiosa and G. ptilogenys. Previously, all Gracula were considered to belong to a very variable species commonly called the hill myna. Three additional subspecies of G. religiosa are increasingly being considered as distinct species. Formerly, the Sri Lanka hill myna was considered to be a subspecies of the common hill myna, but today all major authorities recognise them as separate. Comparably, the Enggano, Nias, Tenggara, and southern hill mynas have traditionally been treated as subspecies of the common hill myna; a treatment still preferred by some authorities.

Five extant species are recognized:{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela C. Rasmussen | date=February 2025 | title=Nuthatches, Wallcreeper, treecreepers, mockingbirds, starlings, oxpeckers | work=IOC World Bird List Version 15.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/nuthatch/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=7 March 2025 }}

A 2020 study found that the subspecies G. religiosa miotera or Simeulue hill myna, which is endemic to Simeulue, Indonesia and has not been recognized in recent taxonomic arrangements aside from HBW (Handbook of the Birds of the World), also likely represents a distinct species and was likely driven to extinction in the wild in the late 2010s due to unsustainable collecting for the wildlife trade. The paper recommends rescuing the last genetically pure captive individuals for the purpose of captive breeding.{{Cite journal|last1=Ng|first1=Dominic Y. J.|last2=Švejcarová|first2=Tereza|last3=Sadanandan|first3=Keren R.|last4=Ferasyi|first4=Teuku Reza|last5=Lee|first5=Jessica G. H.|last6=Prawiradilaga|first6=Dewi M.|last7=Ouhel|first7=Tomáš|last8=Ng|first8=Elize Y. X.|last9=Rheindt|first9=Frank E.|date=2021|title=Genomic and morphological data help uncover extinction-in-progress of an unsustainably traded hill myna radiation|journal=Ibis|language=en|volume=163|issue=1|pages=38–51|doi=10.1111/ibi.12839|issn=1474-919X|doi-access=free}}

Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Gracula:

• Magpie-lark (as Gracula picata)

File:Gracula heads.jpg

These {{Convert|25–30|cm|inch|abbr=on}} long birds have glossy black plumage and large white wing patches which are obvious in flight. The bill and strong legs are bright yellow or orange, and there are yellow wattles on the head, the shape and position of which vary with species. The sexes are similar, but juveniles have a duller bill.

Hill mynas are renowned for their ability to mimic the human voice. It has been claimed that the hill mynah is the best talking bird and the best mimic in the world.{{cite web |last=Butterfield |first=Kathy |url=http://www.aacc.ca/mynahs.html |title=Owning a Mynah |publisher=The AACC Homepage |access-date=2015-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712015240/http://www.aacc.ca/mynahs.html |archive-date=2015-07-12 |url-status=dead }}

This genus has representatives in tropical southern Asia from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia, and the common hill myna, a popular cage bird, has been introduced to the United States.

The hill mynas are resident breeders typically found in forest and cultivation. The nest is built in a hole and the usual clutch is two or three eggs.

Like most starlings, the hill mynas are fairly omnivorous, eating fruit, nectar and insects.

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• {{cite book |title=Birds of India |last1=Grimmett |first1=Richard |last2=Inskipp |first2=Carol |last3=Inskipp |first3=Tim |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=1999 |isbn=0-691-04910-6}}
• {{cite book |last1=Feare |first1=Chris |last2=Craig |first2=Adrian |year=1999 |title=Starlings and Mynas |publisher = Princeton University Press |isbn = 0-7136-3961-X}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20181220230423/http://elitparrots.ru/mauna.html Russian page with identification drawings of hill myna taxa]

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Category:Bird genera