Bird tells wife of husband’s affair (Minor Birds)

Member Name: Shazzy

Product:	Minor Birds
Date:	30/01/02 (1921 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great imitators

Disadvantages: Very messy

Minor birds? What on earth are they? Surely the category should be Mynah birds? Y’know, black things, look a bit like a crow with yellow patches on the sides of their heads?

I used to have a Mynah bird. His name was Keo, so named after a Cypriot beer. Why he was named after a Cypriot beer is somewhat diffuse as I neither like beer, nor have any connections with Cyprus. I suppose I just liked the sound of it at the time.

As you probably know, Mynah birds are amazing imitators. If you think a parrot’s good, trust me, compared to a Mynah, they have the talking age of a foetus. Well, maybe not that young, but compared to the less spectacular looking Mynah bird, they really are very basic as far as imitation skills go.

Ours could imitate both my ex husband and I perfectly, even getting the accent right. He had the sound of the telephone ringing down to a fine art, and as his cage was against the wall that connected with the bathroom, the sound of the toilet flushing was his speciality. I wouldn’t like to count the times I went to open the front door, only to discover that Keo had been doing the ringing, or went to the kitchen to turn out a boiling kettle that I hadn’t put on.

They’re such good imitators that a woman in China, on returning from a month long visit to her parents, discovered that he husband was having an affair when she heard the bird saying things like “divorce”, “I love you” and “be patient” (source: Ananova). Just goes to show that you can never be too careful.

The term “Mynah” is not a biological classification, but a Hindu name for “Starling” (maina). The name is generally applied to Starlings that are native to southern and south-eastern Asia, along with those native to the south-west Pacific.

32 species are commonly known as Mynahs but those most often found as pets in the UK are Indian Hill Mynahs. These a
re by far the best talkers, are relatively large (slightly larger than a large thrush), have strong thick legs, black feathers, large orange beaks and yellow wattles (skin flaps on either side of the head).

Whether or not a Mynah will be a good talker/imitator is impossible to know beforehand. All Mynahs can imitate, but those who haven’t been properly socialised as babies are less likely to. It’s almost always best to buy a baby if possible, but should the only alternative be an adult bird, and you really do want a good imitator, it’s important that you hear it speak/imitate before making your decision. If a Mynah isn’t speaking by the time it reaches maturity, it’s very unlikely to ever do so. Although it’s difficult to be certain of a Mynahs age, one pointer is that as the bird gets older, the wattles become a brighter, stronger yellow.

Unlike parrots, Mynahs don’t climb. They have the same habits as any other member of the starling family (blackbirds, thrushes etc) and hop around on the ground. Some people clip their wings to stop them flying, but to be honest, I never had a problem with our bird. He’d use his wings to lift him up on to the top of the wall unit or to get from one piece of furniture to the other, but he never seemed to want to fly around the room as such. Obviously, as with all birds, you have to be careful with open doors/windows while the bird’s uncaged.

Cages need to be large. Mynahs like to hop from one perch to another so length is more important than height. A cage that is large enough to hold three perches, two at even levels and the middle perch slightly higher/lower, is usually sufficient as long as you allow the bird to have some freedom outside of it’s cage. Mynahs are messy birds so the cage needs to be lined with paper for ease of cleaning. Their droppings are loose and they tend to throw their food around.

As far as feeding goes, there a
re mixes available that are especially prepared for Mynahs. As soft-billed birds, Mynahs should never be fed seeds of any kind as they are incapable of digesting them. A daily portion of fruit is always appreciated, but avoid giving avocado, as the skin and the meat close to the skin are both poisonous to birds. Oranges and pineapples aren’t recommended either, due to their high acidic content. Grapes are especially popular, as are peaches and plums. Apples are fine but remove any seeds, as these are toxic. In general, it’s always wise to remove any pits from fruit, as swallowing them can make a Mynah very ill. Our bird used to smash the soft fruit against the bars of the cage to really mash it up before devouring it. You can imagine what the wall behind the cage looked like! Other treats that your Mynah will enjoy include peas, pasta, boiled brown rice, chopped boiled eggs and boiled potatoes. Mynahs need a large water container that will enable them to scoop up water with their beaks.

A large container that can be used as a bath should will be appreciated as Mynahs love to make themselves wet. Ours always went into his bath after his free time out of the cage and gave him a thorough soaking. You don’t have to worry about drying them though; they’ll sort that out themselves.

I always used to put clean paper in the cage every evening as Keo liked to roll himself in the paper at bedtime. He’d grab one corner in his beak and roll until he was completely wrapped in it. Evidently, this isn’t unusual for Mynahs as they like to feel snug. During the day they’ll take short naps, either on the cage floor or perched. They ruffle their feathers, but rather than putting their head under a wing as a lot of birds do, they pull their heads down between their shoulders and “look” straight ahead.

Unless you plan to breed Mynahs, you really don’t need to know the sex of the bird as they’re
equal in both behaviour and imitation ability. Sexing can only be done by DNA or surgical methods, so there’s really no point.

Although I enjoyed having a Mynah bird, it isn’t a bird I’d choose to have as a pet again. They ARE messy, and they can be extremely noisy. They’re great fun when they imitate, but unless you’re really dedicated and willing to have your home littered with wet droppings, it’s probably best to steer clear. If you do decide that you’d like one, expect to have to pay anywhere upward of £350 for a baby or an adult that’s talking. You’ll probably have to hunt around to find one too, as they aren’t the most common of birds found in pet shops. A breeder would probably be the best alternative.

One last thing before I go. What do you call a bird that lives in a coal pit? Oh, come on…. you know the answer, surely.


~~~+~~~+~~~

Summary: