Botak Mynah Spotted Walking Around; Jokingly Called A Vulture by Netizens

How to stand out from the crowd? Just get a new, loud haircut.

That’s what one Mynah in Singapore did. 

Spotted recently, on 27 Feb, a netizen shared multiple pictures of a particular bird with something a little peculiar.

Can’t see it?

Maybe if you squint your eyes and look really closely, you’ll realise that it’s “bald”.

The Mynah had lost its feathers from its neck up, making it seem like it is balding.

This little Mynah is affectionately called “vulture” because of its similarity to the scavenging bird. Netizens have no idea what happened to it but they sure are sympathetic. Jokes poking fun at the bird were also abundant in the comments section.

“Use wrong shampoo”, “eat too much MSG”, and “from Shaolin temple” were just a few of the comments that would have made the little bird sad.

What Happened to the Bird?

Nope, this Mynah did not enlist in Pulau Tekong as a recruit because we all know recruits aren’t entirely botak.

Among the local bird species, Mynahs are especially susceptible to “balding”. Even though little is known about the cause of shedding, researchers suspect that it could be due to several reasons. This includes moulting, fighting, nutrient deficiencies or mites. 

The most common reason for this is moulting, where birds shed their old feathers and grow out new ones. Adult birds often shed their old, worn-out feathers and regrow new ones which keep them warm. Additionally, damaged feathers are also replaced with new ones which help birds to fly better.

However, we are not able to ascertain the cause of feather loss for this bird. If it’s simply just moulting, the Mynah’s feathers will be back in no time. But if it’s caused by other underlying factors, perhaps this would be a new, permanent look for the bird.

Not that it’s uncool – popular figures like Professor X and Captain Picard are well-loved by many.

This is not the first time these “balding” birds have been spotted in Singapore. In 2017 and 2008 respectively, netizens have spotted these birds and posted them online. 

Featured Image: Facebook (Joven Koh)