The Hill Mynah in Thailand: A 30-year Study. Behavioral Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology.

Dr. Manee Archawaranon

The Hill Mynah of South and SE Asia is an attractive and sought-after bird, which sadly is under pressure from poaching for the international caged-bird market, and from habitat destruction in much of its range.

Dr. Manee’s comprehensive and detailed book provides invaluable and fascinating insights into the life history of the Hill Mynah in Thailand, which is home to two main species of the bird, and several sub-species. Dr. Manee is to be congratulated on marshalling a huge amount of information, collected over 30 years, and presenting it in this book in an accessible and entertaining manner.

The book covers, in detailed individual chapters, the classification of species and sub-species and their distribution and habitats, their nesting and foraging habits, mating, parental and pair bonding behavior, and social and communication habits, among other aspects of the life of the Hill Mynah. There are also informative chapters on captive breeding and vocal mimicry.

Dr. Manee describes the many experiments that she and her colleagues have conducted, and the insightful results of these experiments are supported with extensive data.

Many readers will find the chapter on captive breeding of particular relevance, and Dr. Manee suggests that captive breeding is one of the most practical and powerful tools open to conservationists, while also acknowledging that reintroduction programs are challenged by the fact that birds bred in aviaries can become unsuitable for the wild. Successful reintroduction programs require significant perseverance and investment in terms of time, personnel and funding.

The ability of the Hill Mynah to mimic human speech is well-documented, and has led to the species being widely kept as a pet. Dr. Manee’s work explores and illuminates the issue of vocal mimicry among birds in general, and among Hill Mynahs in particular, through a series of ingenious experiments, which suggest that vocal mimicry contribute to social dominance.

A particularly valuable aspect of Dr. Manee’s book, that I enjoyed, is her extensive reference to research conducted on other bird species in different areas of the world, while pointing out the relative dearth of similar systematic knowledge of tropical bird species.

Dr. Manee’s book, with its charming illustrations, and comprehensive data, will be of value and learning to anyone with an interest in birds, as well as those involved more directly in the conservation of the Hill Mynah.