Foraging Behaviour & Methods of Acridotheres ginginianus (Bank Myna): A Selective Review of Five Decades

Abstract

The Bank Myna, Acridotheres ginginianus (Latham), is highly adaptable bird species, mainly foraging on the ground, belonging to the family Sturnidae, and wide spread throughout the Indian subcontinent. The species inhabiting fields of crops, banks of rivers, animals grazing near agricultural land, railways stations, roadsides and human settlements provides a good opportunity for studying adaptation behaviour both in natural and modified habitats. The present review summarizes findings about the foraging behaviour, feeding ecology and methods used in researching this bird species collected during around 50 years of studies. The findings show that the Bank Myna is omnivorous, consuming insects, grains, fruits as well as a great number of artificial foodstuffs. At the same time, insects play a vital role in the bird’s diet especially during breeding period when animal food is profitable due to its higher protein content for birds’ young. The bank mynas’ activity varies in different parts of the day; surprisingly, the birds’ feeding activity peaks in the morning and evening. Bank Mynas apply a wide range of methods in searching their food and obtaining it. Their living among animals and in agricultural habitats proves that they are characterized by a great behaviour adaptation. Earlier studies were mainly conducted through direct field observations, but modern researches use different methods such as instantaneous sampling, scan sampling, focal sampling, point counts, and direct counts. This review emphasizes that despite considerable advances in researching Bank Myna behaviour, e.g. by using video recording or using statistics, not enough work has been done. Therefore, it is high time to conduct more integrated studies.