Indian Myna Project
The Indian or Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) is a small bird that has been introduced to Australia and has since become a hugely problematic species, due to their aggressive nature and tendency to take over nesting hollows from native birds and mammals. When they find a suitable nest that has been occupied by a native bird, they will kill the chicks or destroy the eggs, sometimes just to take over an extra nesting hollow they won’t even use. Residentially, they are known to eat from bins, pet bowls or any food scraps they can find, as well as build untidy nest on roofs which leads to fire hazards and the attraction of mice.
Photo: Flickr - Ralph Green
Indian Mynas have been detected in the West Hume region and action needs to be taken now to protect our local wildlife from their impacts. In 2019, West Hume Landcare teamed up with Corowa District Landcare to deliver an education campaign and to construct traps to catch this pest species. Two Myna proof nestboxes were also constructed for display.
If you have noticed Indian Mynas in your patch, please contact our Project Officer to arrange to borrow one of our traps. Sightings of Indian Mynas should be reported through MynaScan.
This project is supported by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Landcare NSW Incorporated through funding received from the Established Pest Animals and Weeds initiative, part of the Australian Government’s Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, the government’s plan for stronger farmers and a stronger economy.
