Among the sparrows and starlings beneath the tangled weeds, you alone arrive from the lofty Three Mountains. …
Among the sparrows and starlings beneath the tangled weeds, you alone arrive from the lofty Three Mountains.
Its body is mostly a dusky black, with white patches on the wings that form the shape of the Chinese character "eight" when in flight. Hence it is commonly called "Bage (brother eight)," or "chatterbird." It is unafraid of people, feeds on harmful insects, and is skilled at mimicking human speech. The Myna often appears in Song dynasty paintings, symbolizing leisure and refined sentiment.