Bird of the day
Sulawesi myna
Basilornis celebensis
The Sulawesi myna (Basilornis celebensis) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The Sulawesi myna grows to a length of 23 to 27 cm (9.1 to 10.6 in). It is a glossy black bird with a permanently raised crest which is larger in the male. The sides of the face and throat have white patches. The eye is surrounded by a bluish-black ring of bare skin, the beak is pale bluish-green and the legs are yellowish. Juvenile birds are chocolate brown.
This myna has a range of sounds including grunts, high-pitched whistles, squeaks and warbles. One call is a descending sequence of whistles and another is a descending nasal call that sounds like "meeow" and is uttered with the head thrusting forwards and the back feathers fluffed up.
Aliases
Basilornis celebensis