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A white Bali mynah with black wing tips and blue skin around its eye perched on a branch.
Photo: JJ Harrison, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bali Mynah

Leucopsar rothschildi

A critically endangered white songbird with a bright blue face mask, found in the wild only on part of the Indonesian island of Bali.

🐦 Songbirds
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About the Bali Mynah

Bali mynahs, also called Bali starlings, live only in forests on about one-third of the Indonesian island of Bali. They are white with black accents, a drooping crest and a bright blue patch of skin around each eye. They eat insects and fruit. Pairs stay together and nest in tree holes, often ones made by woodpeckers.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Leucopsar rothschildi[1]
Diet
Omnivore. Insects and fruit.[1]
Habitat
Forests.[1]
Where it lives
About one-third of the island of Bali, Indonesia.[1]
Group life
Pairs stay together and nest in tree holes.[1]
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).[2]

Fun facts

  • Bali mynahs can mimic the sounds of other animals, including people.[1]
  • More than 1,000 Bali mynahs live in zoos and breeding programs.[1]
  • They often nest in old woodpecker holes.[1]

Vocabulary

songbird
A perching bird that makes musical calls, such as a mynah, robin or sparrow.
mimic
To copy the sounds or actions of something else.
poaching
Hunting or capturing animals illegally.
crest
A tuft of feathers on top of a bird's head.
critically endangered
A conservation label meaning a species faces an extremely high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “Bali Mynah.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/bali-mynah/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Leucopsar rothschildi (Bali Myna).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22710912/183006359 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.