Intriguing mystery of the bank myna

Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginianus), is a lively bird for those who have come across it. It’s not a bird you would come across in our parts. At present, its habitat is restricted to the Gangetic plains in the north of our country. For the casual reader, the name doesn’t mean much but a closer look reveals an intriguing mystery. The species name of the bird is based on the name given by Latham from a description by Pierre Sonnerat who described Le petit Martin de Gingi in 1782, referring to Gingee near Pondicherry in southern India[1].  The French ornithologist also goes to add that this bird occurs throughout the coramendal cost. This means that in the 17th century this must have been a common bird in our state, at least in the costal locations. However, this bird clearly is not present in our state off late. Does it mean that this bird has become locally extinct because of habitat destruction or human intervention?

The mystery doesn’t end there. In a following publication in 1863, Ornithologist Thomas C. Jerdon noted that the species did not occur in southern India[2]. It could mean two things: One, that something must have happened between 1782 and 1863 that must have caused the bird to become locally extinct.  How this could have happened? This was a pre industrial era where human intervention into the natural order was minimal. Hunting of birds was also quite restricted compared to the excesses in the 19th century and immediately after Independence. Ofcourse, One cannot rule out the possibility of a natural cause like disease or food shortage casuing the bird population to decline or causing them to migrate.

Of course, it is also entirely likely that the original description of Pierre Sonnerat could be inaccurate. Pierre Sonnerat is credited with the first scientific description of our Grey jungle fowl to the world. He is also credited with the first scientific description of the Lychee tree. He is the person who misinterpreted the call of a helpful Malagasy guide who had spotted a lemur and shouted "indri!" ("look!" in Malagasy). Sonnerat took this to be the animal's name, and it is still known as an Indri (Indri indri) today (the actual Malagasy name is babakoto). The birds Dacelo novaeguineae and Pygoscelis papua[3], neither of which are found in New Guinea (Papua), were also misnamed due to Sonnerat. Hence it appears that it is quite possible that Pierre Sonnerat might have made a mistake in describing this bird in the first place.

Futher complicating matters is an isolated sighting of this bird in 1914 at Vandalur near madras[4]. Many observations in the recent years are also pointing to the fact that the bird is extending its range down south[5][6].

With all these complex issues, it is difficult to come to a satisfactory conclusion on this bird. It remains an intriguing mystery. However, there is no doubt that it’s a reason to rejoice if the bird should extend its range and make its home in our state. Lets keep our eyes out during the next birding trip!

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[1] Sonnerat, Pierre (1782). Voyage aux Indes Orientales et la Chine. Volume 2. p. 194

[2] Jerdon TC (1863). The birds of India. Volume 2. Part 1. Military Orphan Press, Calcutta. pp. 326–327.

[3] In his 1776 book on New Guinea, Pierre Sonnerat claimed to have discovered three species of penguin on the island, so this species was named accordingly. In fact Sonnerat had stolen the skins from the collection of fellow naturalist Philippe Commerson. There have never been penguins in New Guinea, and Sonnerat never travelled as far east as New Guinea.

[4] Raj,B Sundara (1914). "The occurrence of the Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginianus) near Madras". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 23 (1): 155

[5] Taher, Humayun; R. Sreekar; Sivaji Anguru & Siraj A. Taher (2009). "Range extension of Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus in southern India with new records from Andhra Pradesh". Indian Birds 5 (5).

[6] Khanna,L (1976). "Bank Mynas Acridotheres ginginianus near Poona". Newsletter for Birdwatchers 16 (5): 12–13