Indian Myna
Have you seen an Indian Myna around the Redlands area?
The common Indian Myna was first introduced to Australia in 1862, to control pests, however they have hindered rather than helped our native fauna.
 Indian Myna (introduces species) |
 Noisy Miner (native bird) |
In an effort to implement an effective control program for these birds, Redland City Council is enlisting your help to record where these birds are nesting and roosting.
Tell us when and where you have seen it!
Jennifer Davis
Senior Extension Officer - Wildlife
Redland City Council
IndigiScapes Centre
PO Box 21
Cleveland Qld 4163.
History
Indian Mynas were initially introduced in an effort to control pests in Melbourne market gardens and then distributed to other areas in Australia.
In North Queensland they were introduced, like the Cane Toad, to control the insects in our cane fields. Unfortunately the mynas, like the Cane Toad, did little for the cane pests but have had a huge impact on our native fauna, giving them the nickname – the Flying Cane Toad.
One of the major problems with these birds is that they compete with our native fauna for nesting hollows. Indian Mynas are very aggressive and will evict other birds and small mammals from occupied hollows. Furthermore, they don’t just occupy one hollow but will use surrounding hollows as decoys. The fact that mynas build a nest within these hollows (unlike native species) renders them unusable by local fauna until the nests break down.
Their impact on biodiversity is such that they have been listed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as one of the world’s 100 Worst Invasive Species and some consider them to be the second greatest threat to birds after land clearing.
These birds are very clever and quickly learn to recognise and evade traps.
In an effort to implement an effective control program for these birds, Redland City Council is enlisting your help to record where these birds are nesting and roosting.
These birds are considered a non-declared animal pest with an action priority.