How to Care for a Myna Bird

Native to India and Ceylon, the Myna grows to about 12 inches long with shiny black feathers that have an iridescent green, turquoise and purple sheen in sunlight. The most common pet Myna is the Java Hill Myna. Known for their incredible talking skills, Mynas make excellent pets. They are intelligent, love attention and learn tricks easily. To properly care for a Myna bird, follow these steps.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Cage
• Wing clips
• Perches
• Bath water bowl
• Toys
• Softbill, low iron pellets
• Fresh fruit
• Fresh vegetables
• Fresh meat
• Drinking water bowl
• Cage cover
• Nest box

1. Buy a wide cage to give your Myna space to hop around. The recommended cage size is three to four feet wide, two feet high and two feet deep. Keep the cage away from drafty areas.

2. Give your Myna plenty of exercise. Let him out every day but first clip both wings so he balances when he flies and lands. Also, put tiered perches in his cage for his hopping needs.

3. Place a large dish filled with water in her cage for bathing. Mynas love bathing, at least twice daily.

4. Provide enough toys in your Myna's cage to keep him entertained. Mynas require toys more challenging than most bird toys due to their intelligence. Choose infant or cat toys instead.

5. Feed your Myna low iron softbill pellets for half of her diet. Also give her a variety of finely chopped fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and beans.

6. Make clean drinking water available all the time. You must provide enough water for him to dip his bill into the water, fill his bill up and let it run down his gullet.

7. Provide proper time and conditions for your Myna to get plenty of sleep. Cover her cage at night and place a nest box in her cage. Mynas take several short naps a day and sleep through the night.

Tips & Warnings

• Mynas live an average of 20 years, so make sure you're ready to care for her over the long term.

• Keep Mynas separated from other kinds of birds as they attack smaller birds.

• Mynas begin talking at three to four months of age. Train him early and often to maximize this bird's exceptional talking skills.

• Mynas molt heavily one or two times annually. If she doesn't, change her diet to include more vitamins.

• Signs of an ill Myna include appetite or weight loss, coughing or wheezing, discharge from his nose and mouth, low grooming and activity level, a change in droppings for more than two days or long periods with fluffed up feathers.

• Don't use perches made of rope or cloth material. Mynas' toenails get caught in them.

• Avoid giving your Myna too much iron in her diet. It can lead to illness and even death.

• Avoid foods toxic to Mynas such as avocado, rhubarb and apple seeds. Also avoid all seeds, as Mynas can't digest them.