It is smaller but similar in colouration to the common myna, only differing in having brick-red naked skin behind the eyes instead of yellow.

The name is derived from their habit of nesting almost exclusively in the earthen banks of rivers, where they excavate burrows and breed in large colonies.

[6] They make use of food scraps disposed by humans, even following catering vehicles at airports to standing aircraft.

[7] The distribution was formerly noted to be restricted north, roughly, of a line between Bombay and Balasore in Orissa, but the species may be expanding its range.

[citation needed] A specimen from Kandahar was earlier considered the westernmost record of a vagrant, but the birds have since established themselves in the region.

[6][9] The species name of the bird is based on the name given by Latham from a description by Pierre Sonnerat who described Le petit Martin de Gingi in 1782,[10] referring to Gingee near Pondicherry in southern India.

They perch on livestock and live in crowded towns allowing close approach, often picking up scraps in markets and dumps.

[6] They are vociferous and use a wide range of calls that include clucks, croaks, screeches, whistles and warbling elements.

[25] Bank mynas have a nesting season from April to July or August, most birds breeding in May and June.