12-18-2007, 03:24 PM
The HIll Myna Gracula religiosa was the talking Myna of the pet trade. Escapees on O'ahu bred in the wild for a while. There's a chance that a few persist at Lyon Arboretum, but I haven't heard anything about them through the "grapevine". I recall that Trader Vic's in Honolulu had one in the lobby that would ask, "How's your golf game?" when people walked by.
The Common Myna Acridotheres tristis, the common introduced species, is very vocal, but mostly in it's own language. It's known to mimic other sounds occasionally, but not human languages. It is also referred to as Indian Myna or House Myna.
No offense, Katie, but IMHO having a bird just so it can entertain with mimicry or talking is the worst reason to keep a bird. They can be great companions and deserve a lot of attention. I don't know about mynas as pets; I have a few years of experience with a cockatoo. Our neighbor's African Grey mimics everything: our house alarm, Barred Doves, their dog, their tools, their coughing and statements, Kalij Pheasants, and I think I've heard it do an Oma'o.
The Common Myna Acridotheres tristis, the common introduced species, is very vocal, but mostly in it's own language. It's known to mimic other sounds occasionally, but not human languages. It is also referred to as Indian Myna or House Myna.
No offense, Katie, but IMHO having a bird just so it can entertain with mimicry or talking is the worst reason to keep a bird. They can be great companions and deserve a lot of attention. I don't know about mynas as pets; I have a few years of experience with a cockatoo. Our neighbor's African Grey mimics everything: our house alarm, Barred Doves, their dog, their tools, their coughing and statements, Kalij Pheasants, and I think I've heard it do an Oma'o.