That’s not yours, it’s Myna!

The Myna is to Tel Aviv what the Pigeon is to New York City…at least in terms of pervasiveness.

Mynas are beautiful birds: bright yellow masks and beaks on a black body and black and white aflutter in flight.

They are crafty and quite invasive – using other birds’ nests, eating a wide variety of food, and mimicking the sounds around them (they are in the same family as the Starling) .  They often work together in packs, like crows.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the Myna is not a native species to Israel.

It was brought from India by the Zapari (a bird zoo in the Park Hayarkon).  Some Myna escaped the zoo in the mid 90’s and they have been thriving ever since.