Bird Bathing in Clam Shell in Vanuatu. Sunday Morning Photograph.

A bird was observed bathing in a clam shell in Vanuatu during a dreary day at White Grass Ocean Resort & Spa on Tanna Island, where clam shells are used as part of the landscaping of the grounds.

Bird Bathing in Clam Shell in Vanuatu. Sunday Morning Photograph.

The common myna inspected the clam shell, which had filled with water as the result of a significant amount of precipitation that had recently occurred.

It suddenly dived into the water within the clam shell and wildly splashed about as it bathed itself.

It then turned to me as I was photographing it, looking at me as though it was saying “Hey! What are you looking at?!?”

As a bonus — if you want to call it that — here is a short raw video of the common myna enjoying its bathing ritual in Vanuatu.

Final Boarding Call

Trivia time: The common myna is a bird that originates from Southern Asia and is not indigenous to Vanuatu. In fact, the common myna is one of only three birds listed among one hundred of the worst invasive species in the world that poses a threat to biodiversity, agriculture, and human interests primarily due to its increasing its range at a rapid rate — to the point where it has been sighted in the state of Florida.

The purpose of the weekly series of Sunday Morning Photograph articles is to feature photographs from my travels around the world which you can view while enjoying your morning coffee.

Please click here for a complete list of the Sunday Morning Photograph series of articles at The Gate With Brian Cohen, which include photographs taken of nature and sights of interest in many countries and territories around the world — including but not limited to:

Albania • Andorra • Argentina • Australia • Austria • Bahamas • Bahrain • Belgium • Belarus • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Botswana • Brazil • Bulgaria • Canada • China • Chile • Colombia • Côte d’Ivoire or Ivory Coast • Croatia • Cyprus — including the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus • Czechia or Czech Republic • Denmark • Dominican Republic • Egypt • England in Great Britain in the United Kingdom • Estonia • Fiji • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Greenland • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Jamaica • Kenya • Kosovo • Latvia • Lebanon • Lesotho • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malaysia • Mexico • Montenegro • Morocco • Mozambique • Netherlands • New Zealand • North Macedonia • Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom • Norway • Oman • Panama • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Scotland in Great Britain in the United Kingdom • Singapore • Slovenia • South Africa • South Korea • Spain • Swaziland or Eswatini • Sweden • Switzerland • Thailand • Turkey or the Republic of Türkiye • United Arab Emirates • United States of America • Uruguay • Vanuatu • Wales in Great Britain in the United Kingdom

All photographs ©2025 by Brian Cohen.