28 July 2015

Common Myna – Dhahran Hills

The Common Myna Acridotheres tristis is an introduced species that is common in many areas of the Kingdom and breeds in many large towns. They first appeared in the Riyadh area in1984 and in the Eastern Province after 1990 but are now very common including in Dhahran where birds can be seen in large groups and also breed feely. Birds have slowly spread northwards and can now be seen throughout the country. There is one other type of Myna present in the Kingdom and that is the Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus that was also introduced and can be seen in Saudi Arabia almost exclusively in the Riyadh area. The photograph below was taken in Dhahran Hills on my local patch where they are plentiful and can be seen daily.
Common Myna