Crested Myna

Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus) is a dark starling with a pointed feather crest above its pale bill, white wing patches and orange-yellow eyes and legs. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is native to south-eastern China and Indochina, favours open urban and agricultural land and walks on the ground for insects, fruit and refuse; released birds have established populations elsewhere. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).