Common Hill Mynah
The Common Hill Mynah has the most accurate human voice mimicry of any bird — replicating not just words but tone, accent, and emotional inflection, making their speech often indistinguishable from the original speaker at close range.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Origin
India
Lifespan
12–25 years
Weight
150–260 g
Height
29–30 cm
Diet
Omnivore — SPECIALIST LOW-IRON DIET CRITICAL. Low-iron softbill pellets (NOT standard parrot pellets — mynahs are highly susceptible to iron storage disease). Fresh fruit. Avoid high-iron foods (dark leafy greens, berries, citrus, standard pellets).
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Sturnidae
Genus
Gracula
The Story
The Common Hill Mynah has the most accurate human voice mimicry of any bird — replicating not just words but tone, accent, and emotional inflection, making their speech often indistinguishable from the original speaker at close range. Native to forest across South and Southeast Asia including India. Kept as talking birds in India and Southeast Asia for thousands of years. Require specialist diet management — highly susceptible to iron storage disease from high-iron foods or standard parrot pellets.
Also Known As
Quick Facts
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Physical Profile
Source: wikimedia
Glossy black bird with bright orange-yellow skin patches and wattles on the face and back of the head, vivid orange-yellow beak, yellow legs, and white wing patches that flash in flight.
Grooming
Low
Shedding
Low
Coat Colors
Recognized By
Source: wikimedia
Temperament & Personality
Vocal and curious but less hands-on than parrots — do not typically seek physical contact. Appeal is their extraordinary vocal mimicry. Active and need space to move.
Living Profile
Care & Wellness
Professional Care Protocol
- •Very large cage minimum 90 × 60 × 90 cm. LOW-IRON DIET IS CRITICAL — commercial low-iron mynah pellets as primary food, supplemented with fresh low-iron fruits (papaya, apple, grapes). Avoid high-iron foods. Specialist avian vet knowledge important.
Vaccination Schedule
Vaccination Schedule
Health Overview
Iron storage disease (haemochromatosis) — the leading cause of premature death, caused by feeding high-iron foods including standard parrot pellets. Yeast infections. Aspergillosis.
Common Conditions
Fun Facts
The Common Hill Mynah is considered the most accurate human voice mimic in the bird world — unlike parrots which often distort voice quality, Hill Mynahs replicate tone and accent with extraordinary fidelity.
Hill Mynahs have been kept as talking birds in India for over 2,000 years — they appear in Sanskrit texts and Mughal court records.
