# Seriously considering a Mynah bird.



## RachelsaurusRexU

Mynahs are softbills and part of the starling family. They're native to parts of Asia but have been introduced to various locations as a means of insect control. In some places, they are now considered invasive. They are very well known for their excellent mimicking abilities and are said to be better talkers than the African Grey. Not only do they mimic sounds and words, but also tone and inflection. Check out the videos below. 

Apparently, they were once very popular as pets and one could find them in almost any pet store. However, it became illegal to import them, and now they're much more rare. There are several breeders around the US who raise Common Mynahs and Indian Hill Mynahs. I have located and spoken with a couple of these breeders. After extensive amounts of constant research (which is why I've been kinda MIA on here lately), I am seriously considering a Common Mynah as a companion. 

Here are some videos of a Common Mynah that I found on YouTube. This particular bird was found as a very young orphaned chick and hand raised. My Mynah will have been captive bred. 
YouTube - ‪Morning Talk with my Mynah "Kaleo"‬‏
YouTube - ‪Amazing talking Mynah :conversation 1 with "Kaleo"‬‏
YouTube - ‪Amazing talking Mynah :conversation 2 with "Kaleo‬‏
YouTube - ‪"I can talk, can you fly?"; Amazing talking Mynah "Kaleo"‬‏

There are a few more videos, just search "Mynah Kaleo". 

And just for fun, here's a video of an Indian Hill mynah. Larger and definitely more flashy than the commons, but also way more expensive! I'd love one, but I'd rather put all that extra money toward supplies and my vet fund. I also hear that, as mainly frugivores, they're much more messy!
YouTube - ‪Mymy our pet Mynah talking and singing‬‏

If anyone has experience with Mynah birds, I'd love to chat with you about them!


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## catahoulamom

I personally don't have any experience with them, but my vet actually has a Mynah bird that lives at the office. He was found injured as a youngin' and they nursed him back to health, when they tried to release him after he recovered he wouldn't leave! They're spectacular animals... I can't help but giggle every time I hear him say "Dr. LaCretts an asshole". He insults both of the Dr's. LOL


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## RachelsaurusRexU

LOL! Makes you wonder if someone in the office isn't trash-talking the guy behind his back! Oopsies! Haha. I wonder how he reacted the first time the bird said it!


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## Tobi

:lol: very cute bird, when i was a kid my moms friend had a huge bird that had been in the family for 50+ years, and the favorite thing it would do was "here kitty kitty" and then bomb after the cat and beat it up when it would come to it!!


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## MollyWoppy

Thats funny. I'd get one in a second if my lord here would allow me.
Mynah's are everywhere back home (NZ). I haven't know anyone who's had one as a pet though, so I'm not sure they are the exact same breed as the one you are looking at. They hang around the roads (to eat the dead bugs), quite cocky actually, just walking nonchalantly out of the way of speeding cars, no worries mate. Thats the other thing, they walk instead of hopping, thats how you can tell them apart from starlings and black birds. 
I say go for it.....birds are a commitment, but an awful lot of fun.


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## RachelsaurusRexU

Yes, I believe the species in NZ is the common mynah! And I think most consider them to be pests, which is probably why nobody keeps them as companion birds. 

I'm verrry tempted to follow through with this. I have a huge cage picked out and bookmarked and a shopping cart full of supplies saved on a website and ready to be purchased. I just want to make sure I have a good arsenal of experienced breeders and keepers behind me since they aren't very commonly kept birds and there isn't a ton of very detailed information available like there is on parrots.


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## sozzle

My local pub had one outside when I was a kid growing up and it was always fascinating to hear it talk. Just a word of caution though, a couple of years ago we met an experienced bird rescue lady and she said that they can be vicious killers to other birds if they get close or are caged together, I was a bit shocked at the time as she went into detail about how quick and brutal they can be.


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## RachelsaurusRexU

Yes, from what I read they will even eat smaller birds! No worries. The only other birds I have are chickens and pigeons and they're outdoors in their own enclosure. 

Before I really started getting into birds I never realized they could be so brutal!


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## RawFedDogs

I would much prefer a parrot. I'm toying with the idea of getting one. The only thing holding me back is my two cats.


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## DaneMama

Uh....I think its cruel to own any bird unless you're willing and able to give it a life like a wild type of that bird. They are very intelligent and very entertaining but it just doesn't seem right to me to keep a bird at all in a domesticated lifestyle. I'm not saying its cruel to interact and train birds in the slightest...but one should be able to provide them a safe and adequate area to fly and "be a bird"

Just my 0.02


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## catahoulamom

RachelsaurusRexU said:


> LOL! Makes you wonder if someone in the office isn't trash-talking the guy behind his back! Oopsies! Haha. I wonder how he reacted the first time the bird said it!


Oh, the Dr's are the ones that teach him to say that stuff, LOL. They have a good sense of humor.  Some people might think that's horrible, I know some people don't believe in teaching birds cuss words because it's hard to rehome them if need be, I think.


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## RachelsaurusRexU

DaneMama said:


> Uh....I think its cruel to own any bird unless you're willing and able to give it a life like a wild type of that bird. They are very intelligent and very entertaining but it just doesn't seem right to me to keep a bird at all in a domesticated lifestyle. I'm not saying its cruel to interact and train birds in the slightest...but one should be able to provide them a safe and adequate area to fly and "be a bird"
> 
> Just my 0.02


Yes, I am well aware of all this and in total agreement. I have no intentions of keeping the bird locked up like a prisoner but I appreciate your concern.


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## DaneMama

RachelsaurusRexU said:


> Yes, I am well aware of all this and in total agreement. I have no intentions of keeping the bird locked up like a prisoner but I appreciate your concern.


As long as you provide an appropriately sized outdoor area to allow your bird to fly like its meant to, I'm all for it!


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## schtuffy

I have never owned a Mynah specifically, but I do have 2 parrots...I've had them since they were babies, and they are now 18 and 15 years old, and a lifetime commitment. Hermes, my umbrella cockatoo, can live upwards of 80-100 years and could quite possibly outlive me. And while I think Mynah's only have a lifespan of 15 years or so, the novelty of owning a bird wears off quickly. They are not domesticated like dogs and cats. They will love you and form a bond with you, but it's not the same. They might not be content just being with you. Birds are very smart creatures, and thus require a lot of mental stimulation and attention. And while we all say we want to let our pet birds fly free, it's actually in their best interest for safety to keep their wings clipped. I had a parakeet die from flying into a window.

I hate to sound overly negative, but the truth is that most people buy birds because they are 'cool' and they can talk etc. What they don't realize is that years of neglect and improper care can lead to depression and a host of mental problems like feather picking and self-mutilation. My family, unfortunately, is guilty of giving in to the novelty of birds. I was a kid and didn't know any better, and when I asked for birds, I was allowed to have them. And while I love my Mango and my Hermes, and do believe that I am giving them a better life than most bird owners out there, I still feel like I neglect them and am doing them a great injustice. So it pains me to say it, but I wish I never had them. Birds just aren't meant to be pets :frown:

A couple other things to consider are the messiness and the vet bills. Birds are very wasteful creatures...they will toss their food and drop it all over your floor. Good avian vets are rare and hard to find, because so little is known about avian medicine. Birds mask their symptoms and illnesses are often hard to diagnose before it becomes too late. Again, sorry to sound so negative. I'm not trying to discourage you from getting a bird...Mynah's might not require as much 'intensive' care, but I just want you to be prepared!


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## 3Musketeers

It's funny cause I once had a cockatiel who didn't like to fly. 
To be fair, he was the "runt" from a breeding from a family friend and I would go over and hand feed him so it was probably the only reason he made it. I taught him to say his name and I'd open the cage and let them (I had his sister too) fly around the house (all fans off and stuff), but he didn't want to fly, he'd wait for me to come up to his cage so he could perch in my hand. The times he did fly was when I'd call him from across a room, to which he'd fly to me. In the end he only lived about 2 years, but boy I loved that bird, I don't think he was unhappy. His sister on the other hand, never got very attached, and flew away one day that my grandma left the cage open.
I think most domesticated birds don't know any better as they're mainly born indoors in a cage, but I certainly don't plan on another bird until I have a giant greenhouse for it.

Sorry it was kinda OT.


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## magicre

RawFedDogs said:


> I would much prefer a parrot. I'm toying with the idea of getting one. The only thing holding me back is my two cats.


get a cockatoo.....your cats won't be a problem.


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## magicre

schtuffy said:


> I have never owned a Mynah specifically, but I do have 2 parrots...I've had them since they were babies, and they are now 18 and 15 years old, and a lifetime commitment. Hermes, my umbrella cockatoo, can live upwards of 80-100 years and could quite possibly outlive me. And while I think Mynah's only have a lifespan of 15 years or so, the novelty of owning a bird wears off quickly. They are not domesticated like dogs and cats. They will love you and form a bond with you, but it's not the same. They might not be content just being with you. Birds are very smart creatures, and thus require a lot of mental stimulation and attention. And while we all say we want to let our pet birds fly free, it's actually in their best interest for safety to keep their wings clipped. I had a parakeet die from flying into a window.
> 
> I hate to sound overly negative, but the truth is that most people buy birds because they are 'cool' and they can talk etc. What they don't realize is that years of neglect and improper care can lead to depression and a host of mental problems like feather picking and self-mutilation. My family, unfortunately, is guilty of giving in to the novelty of birds. I was a kid and didn't know any better, and when I asked for birds, I was allowed to have them. And while I love my Mango and my Hermes, and do believe that I am giving them a better life than most bird owners out there, I still feel like I neglect them and am doing them a great injustice. So it pains me to say it, but I wish I never had them. Birds just aren't meant to be pets :frown:
> 
> A couple other things to consider are the messiness and the vet bills. Birds are very wasteful creatures...they will toss their food and drop it all over your floor. Good avian vets are rare and hard to find, because so little is known about avian medicine. Birds mask their symptoms and illnesses are often hard to diagnose before it becomes too late. Again, sorry to sound so negative. I'm not trying to discourage you from getting a bird...Mynah's might not require as much 'intensive' care, but I just want you to be prepared!


i don't how others feel, but in my humble opinion, i'd rather you be honest, even painfully so...because i can hear the pain in your voice as you describe the reality of owning a bird....you are not the first i've heard this from...the other was a friend of mine who had a cockatoo....gorgeous gorgeous bird...very talented....and very very hard to maintain....eventually he was rehomed....

i could not own birds....simply because they are higher maintenance than me...and i simply cannot allow that in my home LOL


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## RawFedDogs

magicre said:


> get a cockatoo.....your cats won't be a problem.


I had another person tell me this but my cats kill A LOT of birds. It makes me nervous but I may try it someday soon anyway just to see what happens. :smile:


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## magicre

RawFedDogs said:


> I had another person tell me this but my cats kill A LOT of birds. It makes me nervous but I may try it someday soon anyway just to see what happens. :smile:


and i've seen cockatoos take care of pesky cats, too.... sure, get one. but first...ask yourself this. how much do you like dem cats?


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## DaneMama

Zuri ate one of my dad's birds while he dog sat her for us a few months back.....that blood thirsty b*tch LOL


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