White-vented Myna

     The white-vented myna is one of the most common birds in Taipei City, but it has been very hard to get close enough to one to take a very clear picture.  I took the above picture while on a bicycle ride about five hundred yards before the Keelung River bicycle trail turns into an area flanked by wetlands on both sides.
     If you look closely, you can see the white rump (vent) and the white wing flashes.  Only when the white-vented myna is in flight can you see that the white on its wings are all along the tips of the wing feathers.  In one of the photos below you can see the white tail flash.

      In the above-left photo, we see another shot of the bird seen at the top of the page.  The white-vented myna at right is in the little park under the MRT line near the Zhishan Station.  I had thought that the moving vehicle would have startled him to flight, but, no, he just stood there and watched the car go by.  You can see the white tail flash in that photo.

      Above, you can see the same white-vented myna that watched the car a moment or so later. Again, if you click to enlarge the photo, you can see the white tail flash.

     A few years ago, I found an injured white-vented myna in that same park and took it to a veterinarian who does that kind of work for the Taipei Wild Bird Society.  I used a disposable camera to take several photos of it.   I believe I had the photos scanned.  If I did, and I can find them, I'll post them to this page.
     I took the photo below near Hsuang Shi Creek.  Dozens of white-vented mynas roost in a tree at twilight.

     For more information on the white-vented myna (unfortunately, not much more) click here.