Building the Realtime User Experience

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Building the Realtime User Experience is a common hill myna (Gracula religiosa). Myna birds (sometimes spelled mynah) are not a biological group: instead, humans applied the term to species of the starling family that are native to India and surrounding areas. These are very social animals, and are typically found in forested areas in groups of around six individuals. Mynas are omnivorous, with a diet of insects, nectar, and fruit.

Common hill mynas have glossy black plumage with white patches on their wings. Their bill is colored orange fading into yellow (rather like a piece of candy corn), and their legs are yellow. They have distinctive yellow wattles beneath their eyes and on the back of their neck. The position and shape of these wattles are the easiest way to distinguish between the various hill mynas of the Gracula genus. Rather than walking with the jaunty gait common to other starlings, hill mynas hop from branch to branch in the treetops.

Myna birds are famous for their talking ability, and the common hill myna in particular is renowned for mimicry. In the wild, this species has a large repertoire of calls shared by neighboring groups—local dialects that change completely between different areas. In captivity, if training begins at a young age, these mynas are able to imitate a wide range of phrases and sounds with uncanny accuracy and pitch. Myna owners should remember that these birds are intelligent, will only learn phrases that appeal ...