CIBED - - Common Myna - Manu Kavamani RR

Acridotheres tristis Common Myna Manu Kavamani ^RR

f.STURNIDAE Starlings

Acridotheres tristis Common Myna Manu Kavamani ^RR

f.STURNIDAE Starlings

Cook Islands Status Summary

Show Notes

Intl. NamesCommon Myna ^EN House Mynah ^EN Indian Myna ^EN , Indian Mynah ^EN , Indischer Mynah ^DE Hirtenmaina ^DE

Local NamesManu Kavamani^{RR,MG,AT,MK,AK} Manu Teve^RR Pīru^RR Manu Kāomani^MG,AK Manu Rātaro^AT

Pacific NamesMaina ^FIJ

Sci. NamesAcridotheres tristis (accepted name) , Paradisea tristis, Sturnus tristis

High Tax. Eng.k.Animals, p.Vertebrates, c.Birds, f.Starlings - Bird

High Tax. Latink.ANIMALIA, p.CHORDATA, sp.GNATHOSTOMATA, spc.TETRAPODA, c.AVES, sc.NEOGNATHAE, o.Passeriformes, f.STURNIDAE

Natl. PresencePresent

Sth. PresenceRR⁺⁺⁺⁺MG⁺⁺⁺⁺AT^{- X}MK⁺⁺⁺MT^-AK⁺⁺⁺⁺PL^-MN⁺⁺TK^-

Nth. PresenceTN^-MH^-RK^-PK^-NS^-SW^-

VouchersRR¹⁹⁰⁶ MG¹⁹¹⁵ AT¹⁹¹⁵ MK¹⁹¹⁶ AK¹⁹¹⁶

Local OriginIntroduced; Recent; Naturalised

Global RangeNative: e.India - Vietnam; Introduced: on many islands (incl. Solomons, New Caledonia, Fiji, Cooks, Societies, New Zealand);

HabitatLand - Lowlands - Coastal, Makatea, Swamplands, Horticultural Zone, Domestic

ThreatenedNo Content

InvasivenessInvasive; Wilderness - serious, Agriculture - serious; as a herbivore, by out-competing animals

BiosecurityNo Content

Medical StatusNo Content

Harmful StatusNo Content

UsesBiocontrol (commonly) - agriculture (commonly)

IdentificationTo 23cm. Body dark brown; head, neck & throat black, underparts paler brown to almost white under tail & stomach. Wings darker than body with large white patch visible in flight; tail dark with terminal white bar. Beak entirely yellow. Yellow skin exposed behind and under the eye. Eyes brown. Legs yellow.

Similar SpeciesJungle Myna is black behind the yellow eyes (vs yellow behinmore...d brown eyes); and, has distinctive erectile nasal tuft at base of beak (vs lacks a nasal tuft).

Interest NoteAcridotheres translates as: Grasshopper hunter.

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Multimedia & Other Resources

Photographs: 15
Video: 0
Audio: 1
Documents: 0
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5BD164_Acri-tris_

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Adult; In flight

Adults fighting 1

Compare heads of Common and Jungle mynas

Juvenile

Leucistic/Albino

Eating pawpaw

Eating stick insect 1

In flight

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Click on a thumbnail to hear the item and see item details.

Call - Rarotonga (M.Taylor)

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Adult; In flight (jpg)
Adults fighting 1 (jpg)
Compare heads of Common and Jungle mynas (jpg)
Juvenile (jpg)
Leucistic/Albino (jpg)
Eating pawpaw (jpg)
Eating stick insect 1 (jpg)
In flight (jpg)
Adults fighting 2 (jpg)
Adults fighting 3 (jpg)
Adult on lawn, showing head & back colouring (jpg)
Eating pawpaw 2 (jpg)
With stick insect 2 (jpg)
1906 Proclamation Protecting the Minah (jpg)
Leucistic (partially albino) and common myna (jpg)
Call - Rarotonga (M.Taylor) (mp3)

Contribute

Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Common Myna ^EN Indian Myna^EN [alt. spelling] Indian Mynah^EN [alt. spelling] House Mynah^EN Indischer Mynah^DE Hirtenmaina^DE

Pacific Names

Maina ^FIJ

Local Names

Manu Kavamani^{RR,MG,AT,MK,AK} Manu Teve^RR Pīru^RR Manu Kāomani^MG,AK Manu Rātaro^AT

National Name: Manu Kavamani ^RR

Island	Status	Main name
National name	RR	Manu Kavamani
Rarotonga	++++	Manu Kavamani / Manu Teve / Pīru
Mangaia	++++	Manu Kavamani / Manu Kāomani
Ātiu	- X	Manu Rātaro / Manu Kavamani
Ma‘uke	+++	Manu Kavamani
Miti‘āro	-	A,nN
Aitutaki	++++	Manu Kavamani / Manu Kāomani
Palmerston	-	A,nN
Tongareva-write	-	A,nN
Tongareva-speak	-	A,nN
Manihiki	-	A,nN
Rakahanga	-	A,nN
Pukapuka	-	A,nN
Nassau	-	A,nN

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

National Distribution & Vouchers

National Presence:

Present

Oceanic

Absent

islands: [ , {label: 'Rarotonga', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 404.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 222, labelTop: 404} , {label: 'Mangaia', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 427.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 274, labelTop: 426} , {label: 'Ātiu', stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'RGR', tris: '#660000', trif: '#CC0000', top: 372.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 382} , {label: 'Ma‘uke', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 374.5, left: 282.5, labelLeft: 284, labelTop: 385} , {label: 'Miti‘āro', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 358.5, left: 274.5, labelLeft: 283, labelTop: 351} , {label: 'Aitutaki', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 334.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 209, labelTop: 321} , {label: 'Palmerston', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 309.5, left: 112.5, labelLeft: 124, labelTop: 309} , {label: 'Manuae', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 346.5, left: 234.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 338} , {label: 'Takūtea', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 362.5, left: 254.5, labelLeft: 211, labelTop: 363} , {label: 'Tongareva', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 32.5, left: 260.5, labelLeft: 205, labelTop: 31} , {label: 'Manihiki', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 80.5, left: 175.5, labelLeft: 187, labelTop: 80} , {label: 'Rakahanga', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 63.5, left: 173.5, labelLeft: 186, labelTop: 63} , {label: 'Pukapuka', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 88.5, left: 33.5, labelLeft: 45, labelTop: 88} , {label: 'Nassau', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 108.5, left: 46.5, labelLeft: 59, labelTop: 108} , {label: 'Suwarrow', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 162.5, left: 115.5, labelLeft: 127, labelTop: 162} ] , legend: [{label: 'Not Assessed', top: 235, stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#ffffff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: 'Present', top: 250, stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Present', top: 265, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Absent', top: 280, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Absent', top: 295, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RWR', tris: '#c0c0c0', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Intercepted', top: 312, stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RDR', tris: '#000000', trif: '#000000'}, {label: 'Extirpated/Extinct', top: 331, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'RGR', tris: '#660000', trif: '#CC0000'} ]

Island	Status
Rarotonga	++++
Mangaia	++++
Ātiu	Absent X	eradicated 2009-2016
Ma‘uke	+++
Miti‘āro	Absent	never introduced
Aitutaki	++++
Palmerston	Absent
Manuae	++
Takūtea	Absent
Tongareva	Absent
Manihiki	Absent
Rakahanga	Absent
Pukapuka	Absent
Nassau	Absent
Suwarrow	Absent

Vouchers for:
Acridotheres tristis

Cook Islands

Southern

Northern

Oceanic

Rarotonga _____ 1906 4br bookreport reports of CITC (1906) from supplier on Tahiti, and protection proclamation (1906). Supplier also sent more birds in 1907 and 1909. (G.McCormack 2010 in CI News).

Mangaia _____ 1915 4br bookreport report from Resident Agent Cameron of mynas arriving Sept. 1915, from Tahiti, but apparently they all eventually died, and in 1958 the Department of Agriculture had dentist Ta Vainerere take and release more birds. (G.McCormack 2010 CI News and 2019-12 interview with Ta Vainerere)

Ātiu _____ 1915 4br bookreport delivered from Tahiti 1915-10 and locally named Manu Rātaro after the Resident Agent Russell. (G.McCormack 2010 in CI News)

Ma‘uke _____ 1916 4br bookreport delivered 1916-11 from Rarotonga by Commissioner Platts. (G.McCormack 2010 in CI News)

Miti‘āro

Aitutaki _____ 1916 4br bookreport delivered 1916-11 from Tahiti. (G.McCormack 2010 in CI News)

Palmerston

Manuae

Takūtea

Tongareva

Manihiki

Rakahanga

Pukapuka

Nassau

Suwarrow

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

no data available

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

no data available

Biosecurity

Medicinal

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.03.16 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
Please refer to our use policy.

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