The crested myna (Acridotheres cristatellus), also known as the Chinese starling, is a species of starling in the genus Acridotheres native to southeastern China and Indochina. It is named after the tuft of feathers on its forehead that resembles a crest. The crested myna is typically found in open spaces near urban and agricultural areas. It is a popular cage bird and, as a result, has been accidentally released in a few places outside of its usual range. For example, this species was introduced around 1890 into the Vancouver region of British Columbia. It was initially successful, reaching a population in the thousands, however, it has since then gone locally extinct in the area. Like many starlings, the crested myna is omnivorous. It will eat a variety of food including worms, grubs, grains, fruit, and even garbage. It is a highly beneficial bird to farmers, as it feeds on insects and does not attack crops. Taxonomy In 1743 the English naturalist George Edwards included a picture and a description of the crested myna in his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "Chinese starling or Black Bird". When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he placed the crested myna with the other mynas in the genus Gracula. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Gracula cristatella and cited Edwards' work. The specific epithet cristatella is a Latin diminutive of cristatus meaning "crested" or "plumed". The crested myna is now placed in the genus Acridotheres that was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot. It was previously placed in the genus Aethiospar, which included the mynas that had a fully feathered or tufted face. Acridotheres was formerly the group of bare-skin faced mynas. Now, the two genera form a new group that keeps the name Acridotheres. Three subspecies are recognised: A. c. cristatellus (Linnaeus, 1758) – south and southeast China A. c. brevipennis Hartert, E, 1910 – Hainan Island (off southeast China) and Indochina A. c. formosanus (Hartert, E, 1912) – Taiwan Description The crested myna is named after the tuft of feathers that form a crest-like structure on its forehead that covers the bird's nostrils. It is mostly black with a slight green sheen. It has a couple of white wing patches under its wings which are more visible during flight.