Andhra Pradesh   

Charming and chatty

Staff Reporter

WINGED WONDER: The `talking Mynah' enjoying a chocolate.

NELLORE: On seeing the one-and-a-half year-old, glossy, purplish-black mynah measuring about 20 cm long, people wonder how come such a small bird could mesmerize everyone with her verbal eloquence.

What was initially dismissed as something akin to a squeal or chirp like others of its tribe closely resembling human speech, was later found to be an amazing bird calling out members of the family as well as neighbours, in particular children, by name besides humming musical tunes.

Moreover, the `talking mynah', known as `Gorinka' in Telugu, has learnt to scream and chat besides making strange gurgling noises. "My mynah will scream whenever she hears a child scream. Whenever we talk, the little bird watches every single syllable that passes our lips in a typical manner and mimics with freakish precision," said K. Venkatasubbaiah, a fisherman of Gandhigirijan colony of Venkateswarapuram.

Amazing capabilities

"Its capabilities are just amazing and unbelievable as it can hum musical notes as well as ask children milk powder, chocolates and hot mixture, which are her favourite food. Whatever, we feed, it eats without any hesitation and some times laughs if it relishes. But the mynah loves fish and mutton most of the times. It identifies neighbours and calls a few of them by name. And mostly it spends time with local children particularly Durga," the fisherman told The Hindu on Thursday.

Greeting women

Family members of Mr. Venkatasubbaih and the locals said, "It even greets women, who come to fetch water from the tap nearby, with a `hello' or `hi'. But what is surprising is it sometimes mingles freely with children and sometimes sits for hours on the nearby trees looking into the sky."

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