The Common
Myna Acridotheres tristis is an introduced
species that is common in many areas of the Kingdom and breeds in many large
towns. They first appeared in the Riyadh area in1984 and in the Eastern
Province after 1990 but are now very common including in Dhahran where birds
can be seen in large groups and also breed feely. Birds have slowly spread
northwards and can now be seen throughout the country. There is one other type
of Myna present in the Kingdom and that is the Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus that was also introduced and can be seen
in Saudi Arabia almost exclusively in the Riyadh area. The photograph below was
taken in Dhahran Hills on my local patch where they are plentiful and can be
seen daily.