For those people who take pleasure in bush walks and listening to the sounds of native birds chirping their different tunes, the squabble of Indian Myna birds takes away the pleasure.
A call has been put out to environmentally concerned residents across Australia’s East Coast to help trap an invasive bird species that has engaged in an aggressive territorial takeover.
Often described as ‘flying rats’, or the ‘cane toads of the sky’, the Indian myna is considered one of world’s 100 most invasive species.
From one breeding pair, within five years they have the potential for reaching nearly 13,000 birds.
The Indian myna was deliberately introduced into Melbourne’s market gardens in 1860’s to keep down insects.
The chocolate brown bird has a black head and distinctive yellow beak, eye patch and legs.
It should not be confused with the slightly smaller, grey noisy miner, which is a native species.
It builds large, noisy, communal roosts in suburban areas, including roof cavities, and can cause dermatitis, allergies and asthma in humans.
Mooroopna Men’s Shed make and sell traps for the myna birds so they may be humanely euthanised. Michael from the Men’s Shed can be contacted on 0418 993 692 if you wish to part of the eradication program and protect our native wildlife.
